NORTHERN IRELAND

Patrick Finucane Review

Ian Paisley Jnr: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the oral answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, columns 832-3, on the Pat Finucane review, when the oversight team was appointed; who appointed the team; who was appointed to the team; how much the appointees will be paid; what guidelines he has issued to the appointees; what process was used to appoint members of the oversight team; what the remit of the team will be in respect of ongoing police investigations; what powers the team will be given; how many cases he expects the team to be involved in in the next 12 months; which police interviews with suspects the oversight team has attended since it was set up; whether the team has made any recommendations or observations to (a) the police and (b) his Department; and whether the Security Services were informed about the appointment of the team prior to its establishment.

Hugo Swire: I understand that in November 2010 the Police Service of Northern Ireland appointed an oversight panel, Baroness O'Loan and Mr Richard Harvey, to receive regular and comprehensive briefings on the progress of the PSNI's investigation Operation Stafford. This is an investigation into a series of murders and other serious crimes in north Belfast.
	The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has no locus in respect of the investigation or the oversight panel. The investigating team has not made any observations or recommendations to the Northern Ireland Office.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Council of Ministers

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EU legislation in the Council of Ministers the Government has (a) vetoed, (b) voted against, (c) abstained on and (d) voted in favour of in each of the last three years.

David Lidington: We do not hold this information centrally, nor is a collated version available online. To provide this information in the form requested would therefore incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the results of any individual vote in the Council of Ministers on any piece of EU legislation can be accessed at the following website:
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/documents/legislative-transparency/public-votes?lang=en

Embassies: Gardens

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on gardening and landscaping services at UK embassies and residences in each of the last five years.

David Lidington: Data on gardening and landscaping costs across our network of 260 posts is not all held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a worldwide overseas estate consisting of several hundred buildings and sites. Gardening and landscaping is an integral part of the maintenance and facilities management of many of these properties. We are committed to reducing costs wherever possible and ensuring best value for money.

Human Rights

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the resolution of the House of 7 March on human rights abuses and the death of Sergei Magnitsky.

David Lidington: We are carefully considering the implications of the resolution agreed by the House of Commons on 7 March 2012 and the views expressed during the debate.
	The Magnitsky case is of serious concern to the Government and one in which there is a clear need for Russia to act. It is vital that the Russian authorities complete a thorough and transparent investigation into Mr Magnitsky's death without further delay, as this case has wider implications for the rule of law and respect for human rights in Russia. Our fundamental goal is to ensure that the Russian Government secure justice for Mr Magnitsky and put measures in place to prevent such cases from happening again. We will continue to do what we consider will best help achieve this.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the security situation in Libya.

Alistair Burt: As the Prime Minister said on the anniversary of the revolution on 17 February, the Libyan authorities are making steady progress towards a peaceful country and in coping with the terrible legacy they have inherited. However, there are many challenges ahead, including disarming militias and building new Libyan security institutions. The Libyan Transitional Government understands the importance of these crucial tasks to establishing a secure environment throughout the country and is making gradual progress. The UK is providing senior-level strategic policing advice to the Interior Ministry and strategic defence training to senior Libyan military officers.

Lost Property

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property.

David Lidington: Records are held relating to various losses and thefts of both personal property and official furnishings, including IT equipment losses. However, the information is held separately by our network of overseas posts and at different sites in the UK, and to collate and provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Regeneration: English Regions

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to ensure that consideration is given to the arts as part of the Government's regeneration plans for towns and cities in the English regions. [R]

Edward Vaizey: This Government recognise the crucial role that the arts can play in regeneration not just in England, but across the United Kingdom.
	This is why my Department recently announced our intention to hold a competition to select a UK City of Culture for 2017, continuing a scheme which is already transforming Derry/Londonderry.

Arts

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department is providing to the creative industries.

Edward Vaizey: We have already introduced the Creative Industries Council and maintained existing direct support for film through the national lottery and film tax relief. Building on this success the Chancellor yesterday announced plans to introduce similar tax reliefs for the video games, animation and high end TV production sectors. The UK has some of the world's most successful creative industries and yesterday's Budget will ensure that they can continue to grow and support jobs up and down the country.

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to improve levels of participation and engagement with the arts in deprived areas in the English regions.

Edward Vaizey: Individual funding decisions are made by Arts Council England (ACE) at arm's length from Government.
	We are however pleased to note that ACE are currently running the Creative People and Places fund, which will focus on parts of the country where people's involvement in the arts is significantly below the national average. The programme will make £37 million available to establish around 15 creative people and places projects between autumn 2012 and autumn 2015.

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the place of arts and culture in local regeneration projects.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has met with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on a regular basis to discuss a wide variety of issues.

Film

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to promote the film industry.

Edward Vaizey: The Government will respond in the spring to the independent policy review, which was asked to identify barriers to growth in the British film industry. In addition, the Government recently re-notified the film tax credit which helped generate over £1 billion of film production investment in the UK last year alone. We also plan to introduce several new tax reliefs for the creative industries as part of our ambition to make the UK the technology hub of Europe.

Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effect on those in rural areas of those areas having a choice of fewer than four mobile operators.

Edward Vaizey: The Mobile Infrastructure Project is focusing on areas where there is currently no coverage from any mobile network operator. Government and Ofcom do recognise that limited coverage is important and we are working with industry to seek solutions. However, it should be borne in mind that rural customers will have access to the same rates and packages as those in urban areas. So while the choice may be lower in places, this should have no direct impact on the prices people pay.

Newspaper Press

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which newspaper proprietors he has met since the start of the Leveson inquiry.

Edward Vaizey: Details of all ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on our website:
	www.transparency.culture.gov.uk

Press Complaints Commission

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the replacement of the Press Complaints Commission by a new regulatory body on the self-regulation of the press.

Edward Vaizey: The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is an independent body: any reforms by the PCC are a matter for them. The Leveson Inquiry was established by the Government last July and will make recommendations to this Department about reform for the system of press regulation, which the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), will consider carefully.

Press Complaints Commission

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Press Complaints Commission (a) prior to and (b) following the announcement that it will be replaced by a new regulatory body.

Edward Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had one official meeting with the Chairman and Director for Transition of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) since the announcement that it will be replaced by a new regulatory body. This is the first official meeting the Secretary of State has had with Lord Hunt since his appointment as Chair of the PCC in Oct 2011.

Press Complaints Commission

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the replacement of the Press Complaints Commission by a new regulatory body on the handling of complaints about the press by members of the public.

Edward Vaizey: Reform of the Press Complaints Commission is a matter for the chairman, Lord Hunt, but he has assured this Department that the complaints handling function will continue through the period of transition.

Tourism

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to support cross-regional tourist strategies.

John Penrose: VisitEngland work closely with Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) across the country, promoting better co-ordination, partnership working and best practice through the "Strategic Framework for Tourism in England", developed in consultation with the tourism industry. VisitEngland has also established a forum bringing together DMOs from across the country to facilitate this work.
	VisitEngland's current domestic tourism marketing campaign will support this work, as will the programme of work undertaken through the regional growth fund and the promotion of rural tourism through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' rural development programme for England.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Ministers

Alun Michael: To ask the Leader of the House what plans he has for imposition of penalties on Ministers who do not meet the requirements of the House in respect of ministerial statements.

George Young: Ministers are always mindful of the requirement of the Ministerial Code that “when Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament”. The proposition that there should be specific penalties imposed by this House was considered and rejected after the debate which took place on 5 December 2011, Official Report, columns 38-81.

HEALTH

Abortion: Advisory Services

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that respondents to his Department's forthcoming consultation on abortion counselling declare any (a) religious or ideological pro-life beliefs and (b) organisational funding from pro-life groups.

Anne Milton: The forthcoming consultation on pregnancy counselling will be carried out in accordance with the Government Code of Practice on consultations that became effective from 1 November 2008.
	Ministers have agreed that the Government Code of Practice on Consultation is binding on United Kingdom Departments and their agencies unless Ministers conclude that exceptional circumstances require a departure from it.
	Among other things, the Code of Practice on Consultation states that:
	“it is important to understand who different bodies represent, and how the response has been pulled together, e.g. whether the views of members of a representative body were sought prior to drafting the response.”
	and
	“the Government should provide a summary of who responded to the consultation
	exercise and a summary of the views expressed to each question. This information should normally be published before or alongside any further action, e.g. laying legislation before Parliament.”
	However, the guidance does not specifically state that respondents should declare beliefs or funding, and so respondents of this consultation will be under no obligation to do so.

Ambulance Services

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is available for local ambulance trusts in relation to determining the location and level of ambulance provision in an area.

Simon Burns: The decision on location and level of ambulance provision is one to be made locally by ambulance trusts. No specific guidance is available, but ambulance services undertake detailed modelling of 999 calls and incidents by hour of day and day of week by geographical area and ambulance services and then base their ambulance resources in line with national response time targets.

Ambulance Services

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what risk assessments are required to be made by an ambulance trust seeking to reconfigure its service provision.

Simon Burns: Any strategy, plan or business case for reconfiguration would have a risk and impact assessment section. This would look at clinical, operational and financial risks and often would involve a risk assessment scoring matrix to assess the level of risk—high, medium or low—as well as a risk mitigation section.

Ambulance Services

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public consultation is required to be made by an ambulance trust seeking to reconfigure its service provision.

Simon Burns: This is a decision to be taken locally by individual ambulance trusts, in line with guidance documents “Real Involvement” and “Changing for the Better” and on the basis of obligations established by s.242 (1B) of the NHS Act 2006.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Health Services

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who (a) require and (b) have access to specialist physiotherapy-led rehabilitation services; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect this information centrally.
	However, the Impact Assessment on ‘A Consultation on a Strategy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) services in England’, published in February 2010, estimated the following:
	around 716,000 people with COPD require pulmonary rehabilitation; and
	around 644,000 people with COPD who require it have access to pulmonary rehabilitation.
	A copy has already been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_113280.pdf
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Quality Standard for COPD contains a quality statement on pulmonary rehabilitation:
	‘People with COPD meeting appropriate criteria are offered an effective, timely and accessible multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation programme.’
	NICE Quality Standards set out what good care and management look like, and can be used by health care professionals and local commissioners to ensure that local services are appropriate to their population's need.

Intellectual Property

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has a role in intellectual property policy development.

Simon Burns: The overall policy lead for Intellectual Property is held by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills via the Intellectual Property Office. Many Government Departments have an interest in intellectual property, and the policy making process, including collective ministerial consideration of proposals, reflects those interests. The Department of Health has an interest in patents associated with the life sciences industry in particular, and works closely with the Intellectual Property Office in this area.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what information his Department holds on the number of staff that have been made redundant by the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust since May 2010; what the average cost per staff member was of such redundancies; how many redundancies involved an individual redundancy payment of over £40,000; and what the cost to the public purse has been of such redundancies since May 2010;
	(2)  how many redundancies there were in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as a result of the implementation of NHS reforms in financial year 2010-11; how many he expects there to be in financial year (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14; and what resources he plans to transfer to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to cover the cost of his proposed NHS reorganisation.

Simon Burns: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on the number, total cost and average cost of exit packages, and the number and cost of exit packages over £40,000 for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2010-11, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Total number of exit packages Total cost of exit packages (£000) Average cost of exit packages (£000) Total number of exit packages over £40,000 Total cost of exit packages over £40,000  (£000) 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2 107 54 2 107 
			 Notes: 1. The data is taken from the audited summarisation schedules of NHS trusts, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. The disclosure in the accounts reports the number and value of exit packages taken by staff leaving in the year. 2. Exit packages include compulsory redundancies and other departures. The latter includes the cost of both early retirements (excluding those relating to ill-health) and voluntary redundancies. It is not possible to separately identify the value of either of these costs from the data collected. An overall figure for redundancies is not separately identifiable. 3. Figures for the 2011-12 financial year will be available in the summer, once the Department's annual report and accounts are laid before Parliament. 4. The expense associated with these departures may have been recognised in part or in full in a previous period. Source: Audited summarisation schedules of national health service trusts. 
		
	
	Information on the reasons for redundancies is not centrally held. Responsibility for determining the level of work force required to ensure the delivery of high quality care is a matter for the local NHS. As such, information on the number of redundancies expected at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 is not centrally held.
	We recognised in the White Paper “Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS” that, as a result of the record national debt and lower spending growth available to the NHS in the coming years, the service will employ fewer staff at the end of this Parliament, although rebalanced towards clinical staffing and frontline support rather than excessive administration.
	Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs). These allocations are not broken down by service or policy area. It is for PCTs to decide how their resources are allocated to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, in line with local and national priorities.

Multiple Sclerosis: Health Services

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the development of quality standards for multiple sclerosis; and if he proposes that the quality standards will be developed alongside the review of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guidelines on multiple sclerosis.

Paul Burstow: We have asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop a Quality Standard on multiple sclerosis, as part of a library of approximately 170 NHS Quality Standards. It is for NICE to schedule the production of the Quality Standards and to determine how best it should be co-ordinated with the update of its existing clinical guideline on multiple sclerosis.
	I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I gave on 19 March 2012, Official Report, column 50WS.

Nurses: Schools

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the ratio of full-time equivalent school nurses to pupils was in (a) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, (b) Cumbria, (c) the north-west and (d) England in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many qualified school nurses there were in (a) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, (b) Cumbria and (c) the north-west region in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: Information on pupil to nurse ratio is not collected by the Department, The following table gives the number of school nurses employed in the areas requested in the last five years.
	
		
			 NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified School Nurses in England, the North West Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area and the Cumbria Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) as at 30 September each specified year 
			 Headcount 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 England 1,129 1,227 1,447 1,620 1,467 
			 of which:      
		
	
	
		
			 North West SHA 223 250 299 364 338 
			 of which:      
			 Cumbria Teaching PCT 38 15 18 24 22 
			 Notes: 1. The new headcount methodology for 2010 data is not fully comparable with previous years data due to improvements that make it a more stringent count of absolute staff numbers. Further information on the headcount methodology is available in the Census publication at: www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/010_Workforce/nhsstaff0010/Census_Bulletin_March_2011_Final.pdf 2. Two other organisations cover the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency, the. North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust and Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Neither of these organisations employed school nurses in any of the specified years. 3. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed, but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census

Organs: Donors

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were added to the organ donor register in Haltemprice and Howden constituency in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Anne Milton: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 Number on the organ donor register in Haltemprice and Howden constituency by year 2007 to 2011 
			 Year of registration Number 
			 2007 1,397 
			 2008 1,483 
			 2009 1,531 
			 2010 1,576 
			 2011 1,379 
			 Current total—20 March 2012 30,866 
			 Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Prescription Drugs

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2012, Official Report, column 378W, on drugs: shortages, what discussions he has had with local pharmacy committees on shortages of medicines.

Simon Burns: The Department has not had discussions with local pharmaceutical committees regarding drugs shortages. However, we continue to meet with national supply chain stakeholders regularly to review supply issues. Participants at these meetings include the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee which promotes and supports the interests of all national health service community pharmacies in England and works closely with local pharmaceutical committees.

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what remuneration was paid to the chief executive of the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust in each year since his appointment.

Simon Burns: This is a matter for the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to the trust's chair, Madeliene Long, informing her of your inquiry. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Transplant Surgery

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for (a) kidney, (b) liver and (c) heart transplants was in (i) Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust, (ii) Yorkshire and Humber and (iii) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The information is not available in the format requested. Information regarding average waiting times is recorded by transplant centres as in the following tables.
	
		
			 Table 1: Median waiting time to transplant for adult patients registered on the deceased kidney transplant list, 2005-08 (1) 
			 Centre Total patients Median wait (days) 
			 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge 433 823 
			 Belfast City Hospital, Belfast 244 1,651 
			 Churchill Hospital, Oxford 432 1,006 
			 Derriford Hospital, Plymouth 230 631 
			 Freeman Hospital, Newcastle 403 779 
			 Guy's Hospital, London 496 1,164 
			 Leicester General Hospital, Leicester 403 1,825 
			 Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester 640 1,343 
			 Northern General Hospital, Sheffield 231 1,338 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 253 1,310 
			 Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth 364 1,053 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham 639 1,620 
			 Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh 360 1,337 
			 Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool 321 1,059 
			 Southmead Hospital, Bristol 426 1,158 
			 St George's Hospital, London 445 1,311 
			 St James's University Hospital, Leeds 579 944 
			 The Royal Free Hospital, London 348 994 
			 The Royal London Hospital, London 365 1,171 
			 University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff 415 987 
			 Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry 137 1,569 
			 West London Renal and Transplant Centre 576 1,314 
			 Western Infirmary, Glasgow 389 1,312 
			 UK 9,091 1,191 
			 (1 )Latest published data. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Median waiting time to transplant for paediatric patients registered on the deceased kidney transplant list, 2005-08 (1) 
			 Centre Total patients Median wait (days) 
			 Belfast 11 415 
		
	
	
		
			 Birmingham 44 572 
			 Bristol 33 228 
			 Glasgow 19 145 
			 Leeds 40 211 
			 London, Great Ormond Street Hospital 44 423 
			 London, Guy's Hospital 23 415 
			 Manchester 30 364 
			 Newcastle 8 542 
			 Nottingham 39 374 
			 UK 328 357 
			 (1 )Latest published data. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Median waiting time of adults (1)  registered on the active non-urgent transplant list, 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2010—Cardiothoracic transplants (2) 
			  Active waiting time (days) 
			 Centre Heart/lung Median waiting time estimate (days) Total registrations 
			 Birmingham Heart 71 25 
			  Lung 353 36 
			  Heart and Lung (3)— 3 
			     
			 Glasgow Heart 302 12 
			     
			 Great Ormond Street Heart 73 2 
			  Lung (3)— 2 
			     
			 Harefield Heart 688 36 
			  Lung 299 107 
			     
			 Manchester Heart 657 28 
			  Lung 511 69 
			  Heart and Lung 116 1 
			     
			 Newcastle Heart 377 34 
			  Lung 498 130 
			  Heart and Lung (3)— 1 
			     
			 Papworth Heart 217 44 
			  Lung 140 79 
			  Heart and Lung 452 13 
			     
			 UK Heart 293 181 
			  Lung 347 423 
			  Heart and Lung 452 18 
			 (1 )Adult registration is a patient aged 16 years or older at time of registration onto the transplant list. (2)Excludes urgent heart registrations. (3) Indicates summary statistics not estimated due to small numbers of patients therefore unable to conduct further analysis. Note: There were an additional 89 adult registrations on the urgent heart transplant list, in this time period. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: Median waiting time to elective liver transplant in the UK for adult patients (=17 years) registered between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2010 
			 Centre Total patients Median wait (days) 
			 Birmingham 386 99 
			 Cambridge 222 105 
		
	
	
		
			 Edinburgh 205 90 
			 King's College 415 158 
			 Leeds 285 260 
			 Newcastle 105 172 
			 Royal Free 213 124 
			 UK 1,831 138 
			 Source: NHS Blood and Transplant. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 5: Median waiting time to elective liver transplant in the UK for paediatric patients (<17 years) registered between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2010 
			 Centre Total patients Median wait (days) 
			 Birmingham 55 59 
			 Cambridge 0 (1)— 
			 Edinburgh 0 (1)— 
			 King's College 79 126 
			 Leeds 36 56 
			 Newcastle 0 (1)— 
			 Royal Free 0 (1)— 
			 UK 170 77 
			 (1) Indicates summary statistics not estimated due to no data. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant.

Tuberculosis

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the NHS has an appropriately-skilled work force for tuberculosis control.

Anne Milton: The content and standard of health care training is the responsibility of the independent regulatory bodies. Through their role as the custodians of quality standards in education and practice, these organisations are committed to ensuring high quality patient care delivered by high quality health professionals and that health care professionals are equipped with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with the problems and conditions they will encounter in practice.
	Local national health service organisations, professional bodies and other organisations such as the Health Protection Agency also provide training opportunities in relation to tuberculosis (TB) to improve the knowledge and skills of health care professionals and other professionals who may be involved in TB prevention and control.
	The Department has funded TB Alert, the national TB charity, to develop an online learning resource about TB for primary healthcare professionals, which is being produced with the Royal College of General Practitioners.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services: Concessions

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes the Government has made to the concessionary bus fares scheme since it came to power; what further changes it plans to make in the next 18 months; and how many routes previously open to the scheme have been cancelled since May 2010.

Norman Baker: This Government have not made any changes to the entitlement to the concessionary travel scheme since coming to power and they have currently no plans to amend the legislation governing concessionary travel.
	The Department for Transport implemented a package of reforms to ensure the efficient administration of this key benefit. This consisted of:
	new guidance (November 2010) and Regulations (April 2011) to help make the process of reimbursing bus operators for statutory concessionary travel fairer and more efficient;
	moving responsibility for administering the concessionary travel scheme from district to county councils (April 2011); and
	new guidance to assist local authorities assessing the eligibility of service personnel and veterans for the concession (August 2011).
	Changes to individual bus services are a matter for bus operators and local transport authorities. The Government do not and cannot make an assessment of every individual change but are working with local transport authorities to get an overall picture.
	The latest statistics on bus services can be found on the Department for Transport's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/series/buses/
	These are updated periodically.

DVLA

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations she has received from residents of the London Borough of Bexley on the proposed closure of the Sidcup DVLA office.

Michael Penning: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has received 11 responses to its consultation on transforming its services that can be identified as being from within the London borough of Bexley. Five of these are from private individuals, six are from the motor trade. The consultation closed on 20 March 2012. A summary of responses will be published once the analysis has been completed.

M1: Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons cameras have been installed alongside both carriageways of the M1 motorway north and south of junction 11; what the cost was of such installation; from what budget such expenditure was made; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Hard Shoulder Running Scheme on the M1 between Junctions 10 and 13 is being delivered within the existing highway boundary. Both the northbound and southbound carriageways, through the works, are subject to narrow lanes and contraflows. These temporary arrangements can be particularly hazardous. To improve safety and mitigate the risk to the travelling public and our work force, a 50 mph limit is in place. Cameras have been installed on this stretch of motorway to improve compliance with the temporary 50 mph speed restriction.
	The cost of installation and calibration including the cost of associated equipment and cabling is £850,000 and the cost of the cameras forms part of the scheme budget of £458.8 million.

Mass Media

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what media monitoring services her Department has purchased in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The cost to the Department of press cuttings services and the services of the Central Office of Information's Media Monitoring Unit for each of the last five years is provided in the following table for the central Department and its seven executive agencies.
	
		
			 £000 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (1) 
			 Press cuttings      
			 DfT(C)(2) 267.3 191.3 187.7 149.2 120.2 
			 DSA 5.5 21.4 5.0 6.7 8.3 
			 DVLA 2.2 3.3 3.7 0.8 0 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HA 73.4 49.8 62.3 31.2 14.0 
			 MCA 16.8 16.8 0 0 0 
			 VCA 0 0 0 0 0 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 0 0 
			       
			 Central Office of Information's Media Monitoring Unit      
			 DfT(C) 68.7 78.3 76.6 73.7 40.0 
			 (1) To date (2) The DfT(C) press cuttings cost for 2007-08 and 2008-09 do not include regional (local) press cuttings provided by the Central Office of Information (COI). The central Department stopped purchasing regional press cuttings in June 2011. 
		
	
	In addition to those receiving press cuttings the following agencies use other media monitoring services. Costs are as follows:
	
		
			 Additional media monitoring 
			 £000 
			  2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (1) 
			 HA 14.4 17.9 26.0 (2)7.0 17.4 
			 MCA 89.1 87.0 61.0 93.0 56.5 
			 VCA 0 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.5 
			 VOSA 63.5 143.3 139.6 60.0 57.6 
			 (1) To date. (2) Highways Agency's charges for 2010-11 were part paid in advance in 2009-10 and part in arrears in 2011-12.

Rotherham Central Station

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects Rotherham Central Station to be fully re-opened.

Norman Baker: South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) is responsible for the delivery of the refurbishment of Rotherham Central railway station. They have advised that they expect the station to fully re-open in early April.

Traffic Penalty Tribunal

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what funding her Department allocated to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what value-for-money assessment her Department has made of the work of the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Norman Baker: None.

Transport: Sustainable Development

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Communities and Local Government and (b) Energy and Climate Change on encouraging sustainable modes of transport including walking and cycling.

Norman Baker: Ministers within the Department for Transport regularly hold discussions with colleagues from the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Energy and Climate Change on a range of matters.
	I have recently announced over 7,500 new cycle spaces at railway stations and 38 new and improved cycle routes, as part of a £30 million package of developments to connect communities, reduce carbon emissions, get people active and make cycling safer and more convenient. This is in addition to the £560 million Local Sustainable Transport Fund to support local authorities in their use of transport to lever growth and cut carbon at the local level. 38 of the first 39 projects awarded funding contain a cycling element, and I expect this number to increase when we announce decisions on Tranche 2 and on large projects this summer.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Apprentices

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her intention to maintain the national minimum wage for agricultural apprentices at a higher level than the normal national minimum wage regardless of the changes to the Agricultural Wages Board.

James Paice: The Government believe that the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board will remove a regulatory and administrative burden from farmers. Decisions on the future of the board will take account of the legislative process.
	However, in the absence of the Agricultural Wages Board, the Low Pay Commission would be asked to incorporate consideration of the agricultural sectors in setting the adult national minimum wage rate and the other rates for young people including apprentices, and the accommodation offset rate.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects Natural England to issue licences for badger culling; and how such licences will be issued.

James Paice: Groups of farmers in the two pilot areas of West Gloucestershire and West Somerset are now able to apply to Natural England for licences to cull badgers to control bovine TB in cattle. Natural England will assess whether the application meets the licensing criteria which DEFRA has set out in its Guidance to Natural England. The guidance is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb13692-bovinetb-guidance-ne.pdf
	We expect these licences to be issued later in the spring if the licensing criteria are met.

Droughts

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect of drought in the East and West of England on food prices.

James Paice: We continue to monitor the situation for a number of crops, production of which could be affected by drought conditions in England, including grains, horticultural produce and potatoes. We do not currently expect drought in the East or West of England to contribute to upward pressure on consumer prices as there are many factors to be considered. However, we recognise that if there is significant dry weather in other parts of Europe or further afield, we could see some price rises on individual products.

Farmers

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect the reduction in annual investment allowance will have on farmers.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	Over 95% of businesses are expected to be unaffected by the changes to the annual investment allowance (AIA). The reductions in the AIA were part of a package of measures to fund reductions in the main rate of corporation tax and the small profits rate.
	Due to limited data availability, it is not possible to assess the impact of the AIA reduction on the farming sector. The overall package reduces the tax burden on business.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of food procured by her Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

James Paice: DEFRA's current catering contract was awarded on 16 May 2011 and is now fully complying with the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering.
	Data provided by our caterers show that between May and September 2011 food sourced from the UK under the contract was:
	Meat: 43.5%
	Poultry: 67.1%
	Fruit and Veg: 23.3% of total, 38.5% of indigenous.
	In the period between September and December 2011 this had increased to:
	Meat: 57% (including 100% beef, 100% fresh pork joints)
	Poultry: 90%
	Fruit and Veg: 96% of indigenous, in-season products (not including potatoes)
	Potatoes: 17% (of which 100% of fresh potatoes are sourced from the UK)
	And in total 61% by value of the food provided was sourced from the UK.
	The figures for the current catering contract are representative of the whole of DEFRA including offices in Workington, Newcastle, York (Sand Hutton), York (Kings Pool), Worcester, London (Nobel House), London (DECC at Whitehall), Weybridge and Lowestoft, in all of which the caterer trades from the premises on a largely unsubsidised, commercial basis.

Forests

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of Forestry Commission England replanting on the public forest estate is with (a) monocultures and (b) intimate mixtures of species.

James Paice: Details of restocking after felling on the public forest estate are held on the Forestry Commission's sub-compartment database. The average restocked sub-compartment over the last 10 years was 2.9 hectares. A single species of broadleaf or conifer was planted on 71% of the area and a mixture of species, broad leaf, conifer or both, on the other 29%. A number of sub-compartments may combine to form a single restocked area.

Forests

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the (a) cost of establishing and (b) area of replanting conifer on the public forest estate in England; and what estimate she has made of the likely long-term financial returns from such replanting.

James Paice: The cost of establishment of conifer restocking varies considerably between sites depending on site specific conditions and is incurred over a number of years. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2010-11, 1,139 hectares were restocked with conifers.
	Long-term financial returns from such replanting have not been estimated as these will depend on a number of factors including global markets, future demand for timber and timber prices.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what representations his Department has received concerning the Phulbari coal project in Bangladesh in each year since 2006;
	(2)  what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have held with GCM Resources plc since 2006;
	(3)  whether his Department has recently had discussions with GCM Resources plc concerning the Phulbari coal project in Bangladesh.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is not involved in any discussions on the Phulbari mine with either GCM Resources plc or the Government of Bangladesh. We have recently answered correspondence from GCM Resources plc on the matter, restating DFID's position that we are not involved in the issue of the Phulbari mine.
	DFID received a representation from NGOs in London last year, at official level. As far as we are aware this is the only representation on the project that we have received. We have received correspondence on the matter, both from those opposed to the mine, including campaign letters, and those in favour of the mine.

Mining

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what his policy is on support for projects that involve open pit coal mining;
	(2)  whether his Department has recently made an assessment of the potential effect of open pit mining in Bangladesh on (a) the environment and (b) human rights.

Alan Duncan: Open-pit mines have been financed in the past by some of the funding instruments the Department for International Development (DFID) supports, for example through the World Bank. These instruments conduct robust environmental impact assessments before agreeing to support any open-pit coal mine.
	DFID supports countries to improve the management of their mining sectors so as to maximise the benefits for growth and development. For example, in Sierra Leone, the UK supports a new National Minerals Agency which aims to help raise $2.4 billion in additional government revenues from mining by 2021. The Government of Bangladesh and others have undertaken some assessments of the potential impact of open-cast mining. DFID has not carried out a separate assessment. Whether or not to allow open-cast mining at Phulbari or elsewhere is a decision that only the Government of Bangladesh can make, but all environmental and human rights issues must be addressed.

Palestinians

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of aid to the Palestinian Territories.

Alan Duncan: Through our programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UK aid is building the institutions of a future Palestinian state, promoting growth and supporting vulnerable Palestinians. In 2010-11 UK aid paid for 5,466 children to go to primary school, provided skilled personal to deliver 2,213 live births in Palestinian Authority hospitals, and supported 4,825 vulnerable households through social safety net payments.
	Most donors in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the UK, align their programmes to the Palestinian Authority's ‘Palestinian National Development Plan 2011-13’. The Palestinian Authority is currently assessing progress at the country level against commitments under the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. We expect this report to be published soon.

TREASURY

Council Tax Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households incurred marginal rates of deduction in excess of (a) 60, (b) 70, (c) 80, (d) 90 and (e) 100 per cent. in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2011-12; and how many households are projected to incur marginal rates of deduction at each level in (A) 2012-13 and (B) 2013-14.

Chloe Smith: Table A3 in Annex A of the June Budget 2010 set out estimates of the number of families subject to marginal deduction rates in excess of 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% for 2010-11 and 2011-12. For 2012-13 and 2013-14 estimates have not been produced, and to produce these would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. However estimates of marginal deduction rates for example individuals are available, and can be found in Table B.2 in Annex B of Budget 2012.

Feed-in Tariffs: Renewable Energy

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2012 from the Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Official Report, column 116W, on additional funding for the feed-in-tariff scheme, whether his Department has formally approved the use of 20 per cent. headroom.

Chloe Smith: The control framework for DECC levy-funded spending sets out the arrangements for agreement between Departments including the circumstances under which approval is required. These can be found on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/psr_controlframework_decc.htm
	Treasury and DECC officials have regular discussions on this basis.

Revenue and Customs: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which HM Revenue and Customs buildings located in Telford have been transferred to providers of IT services under the Aspire contract;
	(2)  whether Aspire is permitted to carry out any non-HM Revenue and Customs work from premises in Telford;
	(3)  whether HM Revenue and Customs is allowed to take up any spare office accommodation in its premises in Telford;
	(4)  whether HM Revenue and Customs is contributing to the lease costs for its buildings in Telford directly or indirectly through the Aspire contract.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has assigned the leasehold interests in Plaza 1, Plaza 2, Coalport 1, Coalport 2 and St James House in Telford to providers of IT services under the Aspire contract. HMRC did not occupy space in these buildings and following the transfer of the leases to Aspire, HMRC no longer has an interest in these properties.
	Aspire is permitted to carry out non-HMRC work from premises in Telford provided they satisfy security and licence requirements.
	HMRC is able to occupy any office accommodation within its premises in Telford that it has retained on its estate.
	HMRC does contribute to the lease costs of HMRC buildings occupied by Aspire staff in Telford through the Aspire contract. HMRC pay a fixed charge as part of the Aspire invoice. The lease costs of the buildings in Telford occupied by HMRC staff are paid by HMRC and are not part of the Aspire contract.

Revenue and Customs: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what cost-benefit analysis his Department has completed on the potential of HM Revenue and Customs and the Land Registry to share office accommodation in Telford; and if he will place in the Library a copy of any such analysis.

David Gauke: HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have not undertaken any cost benefit analysis on the potential for HMRC to share office accommodation with the Land Registry in Telford.

Revenue and Customs: Telford

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff (a) at each grade, (b) in each business stream and (c) at each site were directly employed by HM Revenue and Customs in Telford constituency as at 1 January 2012; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures in March 2015.

David Gauke: The number of staff employed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in Telford at 31 December 2011, broken down by site, grade and business stream is shown in the following table.
	By 2015 HMRC will be operating with 56,000 full-time equivalent posts (FTE), 10,000 fewer than in April 2011 and HMRC's plans on just what work will be undertaken and where are still being developed. However, I can tell the hon. Member that Telford is one of 16 key centres where HMRC has confirmed it will maintain a long-term presence until at least 2020.
	
		
			 Office name Directorate SCS Gr 6 Gr 7 FS SO HO O AO AA Total 
			 Abbey House Telford Benefits and Credits — — — — — — 6 — 1 7 
			 Abbey House Telford Business Tax — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Abbey House Telford Corporate Services — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Abbey House Telford Enforcement and Compliance 1 1 1 — 9 15 23 34 8 92 
			 Addenbrooke House Business Tax — 2 — — — — — — — 2 
			 Addenbrooke House Corporate Services — 6 14 — 36 38 12 8 1 115 
			 Addenbrooke House Enforcement and Compliance — — — — 1 3 1 1 1 7 
			 Addenbrooke House Personal Tax — — — — 3 3 1 — — 7 
			 Denby House Corporate Services 1 6 9 1 6 4 2 1 — 30 
			 Hollinswood House Corporate Services — 1 3 — 7 4 14 1 — 30 
			 Kelsall House Corporate Services — — 3 — 11 19 2 1 — 36 
			 Kelsall House Enforcement and Compliance 1 1 1 — 4 4 14 — 1 26 
			 Kelsall House Personal Tax — 5 9 — 13 13 14 3 3 60 
			 Matheson House Corporate Services — — — — 1 2 6 — — 9 
			 Reynolds House Business Tax — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Reynolds House Corporate Services 7 11 24 — 55 61 21 14 3 196 
			 Reynolds House Personal Tax — — 1 — 3 — 1 — — 5 
			 St James House Telford Corporate Services — 2 2 — 6 4 — — 1 15 
			             
			 Total  10 36 68 1 156 170 117 63 19 640

VAT: Disability

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the scope for abuse of the disability VAT exemption for the purchase of motor homes; and what steps he is taking to tackle any such abuse.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is investigating the use of the zero rate relief on adapted motor vehicles for wheelchair users and has established that the exemption is open to abuse. As announced at Budget 2012, a voluntary scheme is to be introduced for suppliers of adapted motor vehicles to provide information about sales of zero-rated vehicles to HMRC. HMRC will use the information to help to understand how the relief is used and, if appropriate, to identify options for change.
	HMRC will continue to deal with individual cases of abuse as they are identified.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Ministers in the Welsh Government on the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. It is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Crime Prevention: EU Action

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which EU member states the Joint Investigation Team established in 2011 to combat carbon credit fraud has operated.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 5 March 2012
	The UK is not involved in any Joint Investigation Team in this area and I am therefore not in a position to comment.

Flowers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012.

Damian Green: Information on spend on pot plants and cut flowers is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Freezing Orders

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of (a) assets frozen by UK authorities and (b) frozen assets held by UK authorities in each of the last 10 years; and how many individuals were made subject to asset freezing orders in each such year.

James Brokenshire: holdin g answer  5 March 2012
	The information extracted from the Joint Asset Recovery Database (JARD) is as follows:
	
		
			 Total value of Asset Restraining Orders obtained in the UK 
			  £ 
			 2001-02 73,475,000.00 
			 2002-03 88,550,000.00 
			 2003-04 227,866,528.00 
			 2004-05 379,400,415.00 
			 2005-06 645,854,479.00 
			 2006-07 610,438,957.00 
			 2007-08 871,967,286.00 
			 2008-09 917,222,677.00 
			 2009-10 686,116,042.00 
			 2010-11 861,552,195.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Total value of Asset Restraining Orders obtained in the UK in respect of UK based assets only 
			  £ 
			 2001-02 55,044,342.18 
			 2002-03 55,126,835.81 
			 2003-04 223,131,328.09 
			 2004-05 354,422,435.71 
			 2005-06 629,366,589.26 
			 2006-07 352,305,185.19 
			 2007-08 863,224,204.10 
			 2008-09 905,699,501.14 
			 2009-10 682,707,327.56 
			 2010-11 855,558,108.49 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of Asset Restraining Orders 
			  Number 
			 2001-02 107 
			 2002-03 106 
			 2003-04 315 
			 2004-05 775 
			 2005-06 1,133 
			 2006-07 1,222 
			 2007-08 1,629 
			 2008-09 1,937 
			 2009-10 1,731 
			 2010-11 1,885 
		
	
	A restraint order can be made against a person's entire assets even though these are not known or precisely valued. Therefore, the values given in all respects are estimates. With regard to the number of individuals, the figures provided in the table set out the number of cases in which assets were restrained, but an individual case may have proceeds restrained, not only in respect of the defendant, but also, for example, family members and associates.

Human Trafficking Ministerial Group

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Ministers are on the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking.

Damian Green: The inter departmental ministerial group is comprised of the following Ministers:
	Damian Green, Minister of State for Immigration, Home Office;
	Lynne Featherstone, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities and Criminal Information, Home Office;
	Crispin Blunt, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Prisons and Probation), Ministry of Justice;
	Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education;
	Anne Milton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Department of Health;
	Norman Lamb, Minister for Employment Relations, Customer and Postal Affairs, Department for Business Innovation and Skills;
	Chris Grayling, Minister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions;
	Baroness Hanham, Department for Communities and Local Government;
	Stephen O'Brien, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Department for International Development;
	Jeremy Brown, Minister of State, Foreign Commonwealth Office;
	Kenny MacAskill, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Scotland;
	Carl Sargeant, Minister for Local Government and Communities, Wales;
	David Ford, Minister of Justice, Northern Ireland;
	Edward Gamier, Solicitor-General.

Human Trafficking Ministerial Group

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates the Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking has met since May 2010.

Damian Green: The Interdepartmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking met on 17 February 2011 and 11 October 2011. It is scheduled to meet again in April 2012.

Members: Correspondence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to answer the hon. Member for Harrow West's letter about the answering of a parliamentary question on senior staff being paid through a private company.

Damian Green: holding answer 27 February 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to the Department's letter of 12 March 2012, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Parking

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to announce further details of her proposal to introduce a new system of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency-accredited parking management companies to regulate parking on private land.

Michael Penning: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Transport.
	It is already the case that any private car parking management company requesting information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency must be a member of an accredited trade association.

Police Complaints Commissioner

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Independent Police Complaints Commissioner on accountability for contracted-out services for police authorities.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office is discussing with the Independent Police Complaints Commission the appropriate extent of the Commission's remit in respect of private sector contractors working in policing and will continue to keep this under review.

UK Border Agency

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits to UK ports and airports the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has conducted since September 2011; and to which locations.

Damian Green: Home Office officials have meetings with a wide variety of partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity Generation: Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the Independent Committee on Climate Change that an 80 per cent. reduction in emissions by 2050 requires that electricity generation is almost entirely decarbonised by 2030.

Charles Hendry: The Carbon Plan, published in December 2011, set out the Government's view that deep cuts in emissions from the power sector will be required during the 2020s to keep the UK on a cost-effective path to its 2050 goal. The actions outlined in the plan, including the Government's reforms of the electricity market and work to address technology-specific barriers to deployment, will drive the huge increase in investment in low-carbon generation that will enable these cuts to be realised.
	The analysis within the plan considered a range of 2030 electricity generation decarbonisation scenarios consistent with meeting carbon budgets and an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. The Government are not setting an explicit decarbonisation goal for electricity generation in 2030 at this point, given the uncertainties involved in setting a target this far out, which include levels of electricity demand and cost-effectiveness of different technologies.

Energy: Prices

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to help households with their energy costs.

Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), to my hon. Friend the Member for Dover (Charlie Elphicke) on 8 March 2012, Official Report, columns 991-92.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish details of the process by which an assessment is made of the carbon emissions of installation in connection with the Carbon Price Floor.

Gregory Barker: The quantitative analysis that informed the Carbon Price Floor consultation document and accompanying impact assessment
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consult_carbon_price_ support_condoc.pdf
	was undertaken using a dynamic model of the British electricity market, developed by consultants Redpoint Energy. This model simulates how generation and plant investment decisions are made, and the results provide an illustration of the potential impacts of the Carbon Price Floor on emissions, wholesale electricity prices and investment.
	Updated analysis of the potential impact of the Carbon Price Floor on traded sector emissions was published at Table B28 on Page 201 of HM Government's “The Carbon Plan: Delivering our Low Carbon Future”
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/tackling-climate-change/carbon-plan/3702-the-carbon-plan-delivering-our-low-carbon-future.pdf
	published in December 2011.

Environment Protection: Taxation

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met the EU Commission to discuss the legality of a Carbon Price Floor under EU state aid rules.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), has not met the European Commission on this issue. The Carbon Price Floor is a tax policy and, as such, is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne).

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many EU Emissions Trading System allowances were distributed in the UK in each year the scheme has been in operation.

Gregory Barker: The total volume of EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) allowances (EUAs) distributed for free to UK operators for each year since the EU ETS began is reported in the following table.
	
		
			  Total EUAs allocated for free to UK operators (million) 
			 2005 213.1 
			 2006 205.3 
			 2007 215.7 
			 2008 213.8 
			 2009 215.1 
			 2010 220.3 
			 2011 223.0 
			 2012 (1)222.4 
			 (1) Figures for 2012 are preliminary and subject to adjustment Note: The figures for Phase II of the EU ETS (2008-12) remain subject to change as adjustments could be made to allocations by UK Regulators in certain circumstances. The UK has also auctioned EU ETS allowances since 2008: 4 million in 2008, 25 million in 2009, 35.8 million in 2010, 30.7 million in 2011. Allowances auctioned by the UK are open to bids from UK and non-UK bidders and are therefore not exclusively distributed in the UK. Source: UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Registry

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many installations in each region of the UK are covered by the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: The following table gives the number of installations in each region of the UK as at 20 March 2012:
	
		
			 Region Number of installations 
			 England 623 
			 Wales 57 
			 Scotland 89 
			 Northern Ireland 23 
			 Total 720

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total value of EU Emissions Trading System allowances was in the UK in each year the scheme has been in operation.

Gregory Barker: The number of EU allowances in the UK can be measured either as the number of allowances traded in the UK, or as the number of allowances surrendered (i.e. used by installations for compliance with the requirements of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)) in the UK. Data on the number of allowances traded in the UK are not available for the entire period, the quantity and value of EU allowances surrendered by UK installations covered by the EU ETS can be found in the following table. The figures for 2011 are not available.
	
		
			    Value of allowances surrendered by UK installations 
			  Average price (€/tCO 2 e) Allowances surrendered by UK installations (MtCO 2 e) (€ million) (£ million) 
			 Phase I     
			 2005 17.88 242 4.335 2,963 
			 2006 18.72 251 4,708 3,209 
			 2007 1.24 257 318 218 
			      
			 Phase II     
			 2008 22.65 266 6,014 4,777 
			 2009 13.35 232 3.094 2,755 
			 2010 14.47 220 3,189 2,734 
			 Source: Average daily price of European Union allowances expiring at the end of each calendar year taken from Thomson Reuters Point Carbon; volume of surrendered allowances taken from the EU's Community Independent Transactions Log; average Euro Sterling spot exchange rate for each year taken from Bank of England

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met representatives of the Environment Agency to discuss the regulation of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: I met with the Environment Agency on the 2 March 2011. Representatives of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) also attended. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the UK's response to recent cyber attacks on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) registry system and agree on future co-operation between DECC, the Environment Agency and SOCA on registry security. More generally, senior officials from my Department are in regular contact with the Environment Agency and other UK regulators to ensure the effective implementation of the EU ETS in the UK.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the European Council last discussed the EU Emissions Trading System; and what the outcome of these discussions was.

Gregory Barker: The European Council discussed the use of EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) at its meeting of 4 February 2011. Member states took note of the provisions in the ETS directive related to this.
	The ETS is more regularly discussed at ministerial level, and was last discussed at the Environment Council meeting of 9 March, in the context of aviation and the EU ETS. Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last met the European Commission to discuss the operation of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), and I are in regular contact with the Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, to discuss a wide range of issues including the EU Emissions Trading System. The Secretary of State last met Commissioner Hedegaard at the Environment Council on 9 March 2012.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: The Government continue to see the EU ETS as a central component in delivering emissions reductions within the UK and across the European Union. It is a key part of ensuring we comply with the legally binding system of five-year carbon budgets to reduce emissions by at least 35% in 2020 below 1990 levels and by 80% in 2050 as set out in the Climate Change Act. The EU ETS is also central to meeting the 20% EU emissions reduction target by 2020. The EU ETS is very effective in delivering the emissions reduction set by its cap on emissions.
	Looking ahead, it is clear that the ability of the EU ETS to continue providing a strong signal for innovation will be related to the stringency of the cap. A tighter cap, in the context of a move in the EU to a 30% emissions reduction target by 2020, would be consistent with the EU's target of a long term transition to a low-carbon economy (80-95% emissions reductions by 2050) and would improve the effectiveness of the EU ETS in driving investment in abatement.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the level of indirect subsidy to nuclear power under the EU Emissions Trading System.

Gregory Barker: The coalition agreement stated that there would be no public subsidy, for new nuclear power stations and this continues to be the Government's position.
	The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is designed to encourage all types of low-carbon technologies —nuclear and renewables—as well as efficient gas-fired electricity generation.
	The Government have announced additional policy measures, including a Carbon Price Floor, as set out in Planning our electric future: a White Paper, to complement the impacts of the EU ETS and to strengthen the signals within the UK, particularly to investors in low carbon electricity generation. Decarbonising the electricity sector is key to meeting existing long-term climate change targets.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, column 787W, on natural gas: exploration, when his Department expects the completion of the (a) Environment Agency's investigation into the monitoring and control of unplanned emissions of methane from unconventional gas operations and (b) research assessing how his Department should incorporate methane emissions from this activity in the UK's greenhouse gas inventory under the Kyoto protocol; and if he will publish these documents.

Charles Hendry: The Environment Agency expect an initial engineering review to be completed by specialist external contractors in April 2012. This will survey relevant literature and the engineering methods that are relevant to methane monitoring and control.
	Following this review, the Environment Agency will undertake further work to understand the practices and technical methods available to quantify, manage and minimise fugitive emissions of methane from unconventional gas operations.
	The research work which DECC has commissioned into how methane emissions related to the extraction of shale gas will be incorporated in the UK's greenhouse gas inventory which is due for completion in summer 2012. We will publish the results of this research on the DECC website once it is complete.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether any officials of his Department attended the Royal Society conference on Nuclear Energy in the 21st century on 12-13 March 2012.

Charles Hendry: Six officials from the Department were present over the course of the two day Royal Society conference on Nuclear Energy in the 21st century.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will assess the proposition put forward by HM Chief Nuclear Inspector at the Royal Society nuclear conference on 12 March that the nuclear industry should be more open and transparent.

Charles Hendry: The Government support the proposals made by HM Chief Nuclear Inspector at the Royal Society conference on Nuclear Energy in the 21st century. The proposals are a reiteration of Recommendation IR-4 of the HM Chief Nuclear Inspector's report into the implications of the Fukushima accident for the UK nuclear industry, which states that
	"Both the UK nuclear industry and ONR should consider ways of enhancing the drive to ensure more open, transparent and trusted communications, and relationships, with the public and other stakeholders."
	Industry has responded to this and other relevant recommendations made in the HM Chief Nuclear Inspector's report and are available to view on the Office for Nuclear Regulation website.

Renewable Energy: Heating

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the Government's Standard Assessment Procedure for the Energy Rating of Dwellings, by what means the attributed efficiencies of electric heat pumps are derived; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: As requested by industry, the attributable efficiencies are obtained from seasonal performance factors that are derived in accordance with the harmonised European Standards EN15316:4:2 and EN14511 for heat pumps. EN 14511 specifies the test conditions, the range of test points and calculation methodology to be used to derive seasonal performance.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 or more and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The answer is in the following table:
	
		
			 DWP and Non-Departmental Public Bodies (1) 
			  Number of officials paid £100,000 to £142,499 per annum as at 31 January 2012 Number of officials paid £142,500 or more per annum as at 31 January 2012 
			 DWP 32 7 
			 NDPB 45 16 
			 (1) These figures do not include the Pension Protection Fund, which is a Public Corporation. 
		
	
	Since May 2010 we have made reductions in the size of the DWP Senior Civil Service (SCS) and reduced the number of DWP SCS earning, £100,000 to £142,499, by 35% and the number earning, £142,500 and above, by 22%.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many notifications of possible provider fraud he has received in relation to Mandatory Work Activity.

Chris Grayling: There has been one notification of possible provider fraud in relation to mandatory work activity. This concerns A4e and is currently being investigated.

Employment Schemes

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each age group were placed on a training allowance in each of the last five years.

Chris Grayling: The information is in the table.
	
		
			 Number of people starting on a training allowance by age, 2007-2011 (1) 
			  2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 (1) 
			 18-24 89,400 87,500 110,900 134,900 71,600 
			 25-34 31,800 31,500 32,700 42,200 23,300 
			 35-44 29,800 29,100 28,400 40,000 23,000 
			 45-50 13,400 13,300 13,500 20,900 12,000 
			 50-54 7,500 12,400 11,000 16,900 9,600 
			 55-60 6,300 11,000 7,700 13,700 7,000 
			 60-64 100 200 200 700 700 
			 Total 178,300 185,100 204,500 269,300 147,300 
			 (1) The figures are presented for calendar years. For 2011 the data is only available from January to November 2011. The November 2011 data is provisional, 2007-October 2011 data is final. Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: DWP administrative data (JUVOS Training Allowance), January 2012 
		
	
	In 2011 claimants remaining on jobseeker's allowance benefited from our new range of personalised employment initiatives such as the Get Britain Working measures, the Work programme, and Mandatory Work Activity, and consequently fewer moved on to the training allowance.
	Since autumn 2011, claimants who have been in receipt of JSA for six months or more and are referred to training of up to 30 hours per week for a maximum of eight weeks, also receive JSA.

Housing Benefit: Pension Credit

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 393W, on housing benefit: pension credit, whether the transitional protection also applies to couples where one member is above pension credit qualifying age but the couple will not receive pension credit in April 2013.

Steve Webb: In April 2013, when the under occupation measure comes in, the size criteria will not apply where one of a couple is over state pension credit age, whether or not they are actually in receipt of pension credit.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged 24 years were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for a total of three years or more between the ages of 18 and 24 years, without claiming for a continuous spell of nine months, and without claiming for 22 out of the 24 previous months in the most recent period for which data is available.

Chris Grayling: The information requested requires a complex database query which is not possible to complete in the time given to answer this question.

New Enterprise Allowance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new successful applications have been made to the new enterprise allowance scheme in each month since its launch, in each region.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not publish new enterprise allowance statistics at the levels requested.
	Official statistics are available and can be viewed at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/pwp/pwp_gbw_feb12.pdf
	The new enterprise allowance was introduced in target areas in April 2011, and rolled out nationally from 1 August 2011. Information is available for the number of new enterprise allowance mentor starts for each month since its introduction, as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 New enterprise allowance mentor starts by month 
			  Number 
			 Total 6,880 
			 April 2011 70 
			 May 2011 160 
			 June 2011 240 
			 July 2011 640 
			 August 2011 1,170 
			 September 2011 1,690 
			 October 2011 1,650 
			 November 2011 1,270 
			 Notes: 1. Values are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not be the sum of the individual cells due to rounding. 2. Months are calendar months. Data Source: DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database December 2011 
		
	
	A start on the new enterprise allowance scheme is defined as the date the claimant first met with their business mentor. Information is available for the number of new enterprise allowance mentor starts across Great Britain, as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 New enterprise allowance mentor starts in Great Britain 
			  Number 
			 Total 6,880 
			 Central England 1,740 
			 London and the Home Counties 1,020 
			 North East 1,310 
			 North West 1,200 
			 Scotland 640 
			 Southern England 610 
			 Wales 340 
			 Unknown 20 
			 Note: Values are rounded to the nearest 10. Data Source: DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database December 2011

Remploy

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has procured goods from Remploy factories in the last 12 months; and what the value was of any such procurements.

Maria Miller: Remploy is a sub-contractor to Xerox under the Department for Work and Pensions Print and Associated Services contract. Remploy is involved in a product stock despatch service for customers and has been paid £274,000 in the 12 months to February 2012.

Remploy

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to keep data tracking the employment records over the next five years of all those who have lost their jobs as a result of his closure of Remploy factories in the UK; and if he will publish such information annually revealing access to employment for workers from each of the factories closed.

Maria Miller: A comprehensive support package will be in place to support every disabled member of staff who is affected by the announcements regarding Remploy factories and will make the best use of national and local services to support staff into new employment.
	This support will be focused on the specific needs of the individual through development of an action plan, managed with the support of a case worker who will make best use of skills and experience from partner agencies and organisations both nationally and locally.
	We have set aside £8 million to support this work and will continue to provide individualised support for up to 18 months.
	We will endeavour to monitor the job outcomes related to this support in addition to our current processes. We will need to request consent from each Remploy employee to enable us to do this.
	Plans are currently being developed to provide information on the employment status of those people who may be made redundant as a result of the closure of Remploy factories in the UK. However, it is too early at this stage to commit to making this data publicly available until such time that its robustness can be tested and supported.

Remploy: Wales

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to devolve the budget for Remploy factories in Wales to the Welsh Government for the next three years.

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has recently had with the Welsh Government Ministers on the transfer of Welsh Remploy budgets to Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: I met with the Minister for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning in the Welsh Government on 13 March to discuss the Government's response to the Sayce review and its impacts on the Remploy facilities in Wales.
	At this meeting I made it clear that the budget for Remploy in Wales would not be transferred to the Welsh Government, as it is our policy to use this protected budget to support 8,000 more disabled people into work through Access to Work.
	We discussed that as part of the collective consultation at stage 1, the Remploy Board will consider proposals for the exit of parts of businesses or contracts from those factories proposed for closure along with other proposals for avoiding compulsory redundancies.
	I know that the Remploy Board would be happy to discuss any proposals from Wales or the Welsh Assembly Government for Remploy factories in Wales identified in stage 1 or stage 2 of the proposals.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what purposes, to the highest level of detail available, the £2 billion allocated for the introduction of universal credit will be used (a) in each year of the comprehensive spending review period and (b) under each budget heading.

Chris Grayling: The 2010 spending review settlement included funding of £2 billion for the period 2011-12 to 2014-15. This is intended to meet all the costs of introducing universal credit including any increases in benefit expenditure, additional benefit administration costs in the transition period, the costs of IT development and implementation, communications, staff training and programme management.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the total spend in each year up to 2015 in benefits, tax credits and benefits in kind that will be absorbed into universal credit, were universal credit, including transitional protection, not introduced.

Chris Grayling: Tax credits are a matter for Her Majesty's Treasury.
	Budget 2012 forecasts will be available on 26 March.
	The most recent expenditure forecast for the benefits within DWP's responsibility that will be absorbed into universal credit is shown in the following tables. These figures are consistent with the 2011 Autumn Economic and Fiscal Outlook from the Office for Budget Responsibility.
	
		
			 Nominal terms 
			 £ million 
			  2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 
			 Employment and support allowance (income-related) 4,243 6,071 7,240 7,909 
			 Jobseeker's allowance (income-based) 5,068 5,160 4,927 4,354 
			 Income support 4,870 3,162 2,679 2,624 
			 Housing benefit (working age) 17,379 17,131 17,384 17,644 
			 Total 31,560 31,525 32,229 32,530 
		
	
	
		
			 Real terms 2011-12 prices 
			 £ million 
			  2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 
			 Employment and support allowance (income-related) 4,131 5,767 6,709 7,150 
			 Jobseeker's allowance (income-based) 4,934 4,902 4,566 3,936 
			 Income support 4,741 3,004 2,482 2,372 
		
	
	
		
			 Housing benefit (working age) 16,918 16,273 16,110 15,952 
			 Total 30,724 29,946 29,868 29,410 
			 Note: DWP benefit expenditure tables can be accessed at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure Source: DWP Autumn forecasts

EDUCATION

Cleaning Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his private ministerial office has spent on dry cleaning and laundry in the last 12 months.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 12 March 2012
	The Department for Education is not responsible for meeting the cost of any dry cleaning or laundry expenses for Ministers or private office staff, and therefore has not incurred any costs in the last 12 months.

Departmental Working Hours

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of staff in his private ministerial office have signed opt-out agreements in respect of their working hours.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 29 February 2012
	Just over a third of permanent private office staff have signed opt-out agreements in respect of their working hours.

Flowers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has spent nothing on the procurement of cut flowers and pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations his Department introduced between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012; and at what cost to the public purse.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 15 March 2012
	In the period 1 June 2011 to 31 January 2012 the Department for Education made 27 regulations and orders (statutory instruments).
	Three of the statutory instruments revoke existing regulations. Seven of the statutory instruments amend existing regulations. Three of the statutory instruments were made on the application of educational institutions and local authorities. Three of statutory instruments are commencement orders which bring into force provisions of primary legislation (the Education Act 2011 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008), and are not subject to parliamentary procedure.
	Separate records of officials' time and other administrative costs of making the statutory instruments are not maintained.
	The following statutory instruments were made and came into force between 1 June 2011 and 31 January 2012:
	
		
			 Title Made Laid In force 
			 Information as to Provision of Education (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 7 June 2011 10 June 2011 6 July 2011 
			 Conisborough College Order 2011 8 June 2011 10 June 2011 6 July 2011 
			 Chief Regulator of Qualifications and Examinations Order 2011 13 July 2011 n/a 14 July 2011 
			 School Governance (Contracts) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2011 15 June 2011 20 June 2011 20 July 2011 
			 Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 2 July 2011 7 July 2011 1 September 2011 
			 Changing of School Session Times (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2011 3August 2011 10 August 2011 1 September 2011 
			 School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Order 2011 3 August 2011 10 August 2011 1 September 2011 
			 Morpeth School, Oaklands School and Swanlea School Order 2011 29 July 2011 3 August 2011 1 September 2011 
			 Childcare (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 4 July 2011 8 July 2011 1 September 2011 
			 Education (Non-Maintained Special Schools) (England) Regulations 2011 4 July 2011 8 July 2011 1 September 2011 
			 Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stages 1,2 and 3 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2011 29 September 2011 n/a 1 October 2011 
			 The Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills Order 2011 16 November 2011 16 November 2011 17 November 2011 
			 General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 21 November 2011 22 November 2011 22 November 2011 
			 Cirencester Tertiary College Sixth Form College Corporation Designation (England) Order 2011 18 October 2011 27 October 2011 1 December 2011 
			 Education (National Curriculum) (Specified Purpose) (England) Order 2011 16 November 2011 21 November 2011 12 December 2011 
			 Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 1 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2011 20 December 2011 n/a 21 December 2011 
			 Education Act 2011 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2011 16 November 2011 n/a n/a 
			 Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Commencement No.4) (England) Order 2011 10 November 2011 n/a n/a 
			 Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 26 August 2011 1 September 2011 1 January 2012 
			 School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 3 January 2012 10 January 2012 1 February 2012 
			 School Admissions (Appeals Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 3 January 2012 10 January 2012 1 February 2012 
			 School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 3 January 2012 10 January 2012 1 February 2012 
			 Education Act 2011 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2012 12 January 2012 n/a n/a 
			 The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012 5 January 2012 12 January 2012 8 February 2012 
			 School Admissions Code and School Admission Appeals Code (Appointed Day) Order 2012 30 January 2012 1 December 2011 1 February 2012 
			 Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order 2012 29 January 2012 1 December 2011 30 January 2012 
		
	
	One statutory instrument was made during the relevant period but will come into force after 31 January 2012:
	
		
			 Title Made Laid In force 
			 Education (School Teachers' Appraisal) (England) Regulations 2012 17 January 2012 24 January 2012 1 September 2012

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Devolution

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons to report.

Mark Harper: The Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons is expected to report during the next parliamentary session.

Scottish Independence

Matthew Offord: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the costs to public administration in England of Scottish independence.

Mark Harper: No estimates have to date been made of the costs to public administration in England of Scottish independence.

Urban Areas: Wales

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the guidelines under which scoring of the applicant towns for city status in Wales was undertaken.

Mark Harper: The Government published guidelines for the format and contents of entries for the Diamond Jubilee competition when the competition was announced. These can still be viewed on the Diamond Jubilee pages of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's website. These guidelines describe information which the Government would expect to find useful in reaching a decision, but do not constitute formal criteria. City status is an honour granted by personal command of Her Majesty; not a right to be claimed by towns which tick certain boxes.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Adoption: Expenditure

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the cost was of the social services associated with the Adoption Agency in the last financial year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the cost to the public purse was of the Adoption Agency in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: holding answer 15 March 2012
	The information requested is not held by DCLG.
	Information on income and expenditure is collected from local authorities on ‘Revenue Outturn’ forms; however expenditure on adoption or adoption agencies is not separately identifiable. Spend on adoption services will be included within the wider category ‘Children and Family services—other’. This can be found at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/revenueexpenditure/revenue201011/

Departmental Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible are paid (i) £100,000 or more and (ii) £142,500 or more per annum in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government has one official being paid a salary of £142,500 or more per annum. This official is the permanent secretary.
	In addition, there are 12 officials within the Department of Communities and Local Government being paid a salary of £100,000 or more.
	For context, The Department for Communities and Local Government had four officials being paid a salary of £142,500 and 12 officials being paid a salary of over £100,000 for the period ending 30 June 2010. The salaries of senior staff in Department for Communities and Local Government are publicly available on the Department for Communities and Local Government website for the periods ending 31 January 2012, 30 September 2011, 31 March 2011 and 30 June 2010.
	This information can be found on the following website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/transparencyingovernment/staffdata/
	The Department for Communities and Local Government requires its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies to publish senior salary information on a regular basis. This information can be found on their websites.

Departmental Recruitment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on (a) recruitment services and (b) executive search agencies in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: I have interpreted this question as relating to external recruitment costs. The Department has spent £143,337 on external recruitment costs since May 2010. A table breaking down this expenditure by month, vendor and reason has been placed in the Library of the House.
	I would also refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) on 2 February 2012, Official Report, column 730W.

Fire Services: Income Tax

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the number of firefighters in each (a) region and (b) local authority area who will no longer pay income tax following the increase in the personal allowance to £8,105 in April 2012.

Bob Neill: My Department does not hold information on the pay of individual firefighters.

Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of food procured by his Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 6 December, 2011, Official Report, column 233W.

Freedom of Information

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date Freedom of Information Act information request F0004724 made on 14 April 2011 was first referred for consideration by (a) his private office and (b) his Permanent Secretary's private office.

Bob Neill: holding answer 19 March 2012
	Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not normally disclosed.

Industrial Disputes

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2011, Official Report, column 10W, on departmental pay, what the estimated saving to the public purse was from lower staff wage costs arising from industrial action by staff in (a) his Department and (b) its arm's length bodies in November 2011.

Bob Neill: The estimated total amount saved to the public purse as a result of members of the Department for Communities and Local Government participating in industrial action on 30 November 2011 is £51,348, excluding employers national insurance and pension contributions.
	Information for the estimated saving to the Department's arm’s length bodies as above is not held centrally.

Land: Planning Permission

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations his Department has received on the infringement of land title or other rights by planning legislation in the last two years.

Bob Neill: While we receive correspondence on the relationship between planning permission and land title, I am not aware of having received any specific representations on this issue.

Local Government: Cost Effectiveness

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities manage their property efficiently to deliver value for money.

Bob Neill: DCLG has been working closely with 26 Capital and Asset Pathfinder areas to manage their capital spend and assets more effectively through a bottom up commissioning approach across the public sector within an area. The projects have shown that adopting a cross-public sector approach can lead to substantial savings of up to 20% and improve the local community's access to the services they need.
	DCLG has worked with key partners, including HM Treasury, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting (CIPFA), and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), on raising the profile and quality of asset management in local government. The Department has also been working with both central and local government to map and publish data on public sector assets in England.
	The Local Government Transparency Code calls for councils to publish online details of public land and building assets: we believe such transparency will help councils make more effective use of their assets.
	The new Community Right to Reclaim Land will also enable local communities to get underused public property back in use.

Lost Property

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property.

Bob Neill: In the last 12 months to 29 February 2012, the following departmental property has been (a) lost and (b) stolen.
	
		
			 Item Lost Stolen Total replacement cost (£) 
			 Laptop 0 1 1,500 
			 Blackberry 2 142 7,500 
			 PC Headphones 0 1 10 
			 Laptop log-on key 3 0 540 
		
	
	The theft of the large number of Blackberries is part of a current and ongoing police investigation. This is a matter we take with great seriousness, but I am unable to give more information so as not to compromise that police investigation.
	All departmental IT is fully security encrypted. The replacement cost of laptops includes encryption software to allow the handling of sensitive material up to Restricted level and to meet the Code of Connection for the Government Secure Intranet, the operating system (including log-on keys) for secure remote access to the Department's ICT system for operational and resilience purposes, license, set-up and support costs.

Mass Media

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what media monitoring services his Department has purchased in each of the last five years.

Bob Neill: The following organisations have provided media monitoring services to the Department in the last five years:
	‘Broadcast Media Monitoring subscriptions’—Central Office of Information
	‘National print media monitoring’—EDS and Durrants
	‘Regional print media monitoring’—Central Office of Information/Government News Network
	The cost of broadcast media monitoring and national print media monitoring services are set out by financial year in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Financial year 
			 Organisation 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Central Office of Information (Broadcast Media Monitoring subscriptions): 59,125 68,235 112,075 69,825 48,000 
			 EDS/Durrants (National print media monitoring): 178,547 204,181 187,154 43,993 (1)29,809 
			 (1) An aggregate of actual cost to February 2012 and a £2,000 estimate for March 2012. 
		
	
	In September 2010 the Department's regional cuttings and monitoring service (which was part of a wider contract placed with the Central Office of Information) was cancelled and the national cuttings service moved to an electronic only format with a limited list of recipients. Neither DCLG Ministers nor officials in the Department now receive hard copy press cuttings. Ministers have taken the view that an excessive and unnecessary amount of taxpayers' money was previously being spent on press cuttings.

Planning Permission

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether he has any plans to allow local authorities to set the level of charge for retrospective planning permission;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to alter the charges for retrospective planning permission; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: We are currently considering the responses to the consultation on fees for planning applications, and we will make a statement in due course.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by his Department to tackle benefit fraud in 2011-12.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government do not employ staff to tackle benefit fraud. Local authorities employ staff to tackle some types of benefit fraud, such as council tax benefit and housing benefit. Information on how many full-time equivalent staff employed by local authorities to tackle benefit fraud is not collected centrally by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Waste Management

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, columns 773-4W, on waste management, which councils that collect refuse in alternate weeks have made a commitment to return to a weekly collection service; and which councils have expressed an interest in returning to a weekly collection subject to extra funds becoming available.

Bob Neill: The expressions of interest deadline passed on 16 March and I can confirm we received a high level of interest from local authorities. My officials are now considering these expressions of interest and intend to provide general feedback to local authorities around Easter.
	At this stage in the process it is not possible to pre-empt which local authorities will bid for funds under the scheme, as they have until 11 May to submit an outline bid and 17 August for final bids.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Military Aid

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Afghan (a) police and (b) soldiers NATO forces have trained.

Nick Harvey: Since the NATO Training Mission—Afghanistan (the organisation responsible for training the Afghan National Security Forces) was established in 2009, the size of the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army has grown by 50,000 and 87,000 respectively. These have all been trained by NATO.
	These figures do not account for those either currently being trained or those subsequently lost through attrition. The Afghan National Security Forces currently stand at 145,000 Afghan National Police and 184,000 in the Afghan National Army and are on track to reach their combined target force of 352,000 by October 2012.

Afghanistan: Military Aid

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long it has taken to train (a) an Afghan soldier for policing duties and (b) an Afghan policeman in the latest period for which information is available.

Nick Harvey: The Afghan National Army do not conduct policing duties—these are carried out by the Afghan National Police. However, phase one Basic Warrior Training for soldiers joining the Afghan National Army takes nine weeks. If a soldier is not already literate, this is accompanied by a further eight weeks of literacy training. On completion of phase one training a soldier will then complete additional training with his unit before being deployed. The length of this is not pre-defined and will depend on various circumstances.
	The Afghan National Police initial police training course lasts for eight weeks. There are then a range of subsequent courses which members of the Afghan National Police can complete depending on specialism and career progression.

Aircraft Carriers

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of fitting the Queen Elizabeth Class carrier with the US Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System.

Peter Luff: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people of each rank and in each theatre of operation in each service have received the longer separation allowance in the last 12 months.

Andrew Robathan: The information requested will take time to collate. I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.

Catering

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on complimentary refreshments for (a) staff and (b) visitors in the latest period for which figures are available.

Andrew Robathan: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the current financial climate, we encourage our staff not to spend taxpayers' money on refreshments save in exceptional circumstances, for example when hosting visitors from overseas. Our staff are otherwise normally expected to pay for their own refreshments in the workplace, including at internal meetings, except where provided for under the rules covering when staff are away from their normal place of duty and incur reasonable and additional expense as a consequence.

Early Retirement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department worked for the (a) Hercules and Tristar, (b) Nimrod and (c) Harrier team in each of the last three years; and how many such staff in each team received early release or early retirement in each of the last three years.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 19 March 2012
	The relevant numbers for civilian staff in the Defence Equipment and Support Project Teams named in the question are in the following tables:
	
		
			 Total number of civilian staff who worked in the Project Teams at any point during each calendar year; ( see also t able 3) 
			  Calendar year 
			 Team 2009 2010 2011 
			 Harrier 178 162 133 
			 Hercules/Tristar 98 105 101 
			 Nimrod 231 182 104 
		
	
	
		
			 Numbers of those in the above table who received early release or early retirement in the last three calendar years 
			  Calendar year 
			 Team 2009 2010 2011 
			 Harrier 4 4 22 
			 Hercules/Tristar 1 4 6 
			 Nimrod 10 22 14 
		
	
	
		
			 Headcount figures as of 1 January in each year (as an indication of the ongoing workforce levels) 
			  Calendar year 
			 Team 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Harrier 152 142 123 63 
			 Hercules/Tristar 70 84 94 79 
			 Nimrod 207 181 104 37

Early Warning Systems

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assets his Department plans to deploy in an Airborne Early Warning capacity in the next decade.

Nick Harvey: Sentry is the UK's land-based, fixed-wing, Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and Control platform which, with a crew of 18 and long endurance of up to 18 hours, can conduct long range surveillance, detection and interception of air contacts. Sentry forms part of the UK's contribution to NATO; the six UK aircraft generate 25% of the total NATO AEW Force. Sentry is due to leave service in 2025.
	An announcement on the future Defence equipment programme will be made shortly.

Early Warning Systems

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which operations the Airborne Warning and Control System has been deployed; and what assessment he has made of its effectiveness.

Nick Harvey: Since entering service in 1991 the Sentry E-3D fleet has proved itself to be a highly effective platform. In addition to its deployment on military operations in theatres such as Bosnia, Afghanistan and Libya it is also routinely called upon to support NATO-led security operations to protect High Visibility Events involving national and foreign heads of state. Sentry also contributes routinely to NATO air policing and maritime security operations.

Flowers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on cut flowers and pot plants across the defence estate is determined by business need and must be appropriate, cost effective and a proper charge to public funds.

Merlin Helicopters

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected end of service date is for the Merlin Mark 3 without upgrades.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence is currently exploring options as part of the concept phase for the Merlin Life Sustainment Programme. It is too early in the programme to be able to confirm the conclusions of this work.
	The Merlin Mk 3 would be taken out of service in 2020 without an upgrade programme owing to obsolescence.

Merlin Helicopters

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on amphibious lift capacity of limiting ship optimisation modifications for Merlin helicopters.

Peter Luff: The Department is currently exploring options as part of the concept phase for the Merlin Life Sustainment Programme. This will include assessment of the ship optimisation modifications required to meet the amphibious lift capability. It is too early in the programme to be able to confirm the conclusions of this work.

Sea King Helicopters

Sheryll Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operations Sea King Mk 7s have been deployed on in an airborne surveillance and control role in the last two years.

Nick Harvey: Sea King Mk 7 helicopters have been deployed on two operations in the last two years, utilising their capabilities including their airborne surveillance and control role. These are as follows:
	Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan)
	Operation ELLAMY (Libya).

Territorial Army: Allowances

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes his Department has made to allowances for those serving in the Territorial Army in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Members of the reserve forces are entitled to the same allowances provisions as regular personnel when mobilised. I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 20 January 2011, Official Report, column 47WS.
	Following the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body Fortieth Report on 1 April 2011, volunteer reserve personnel became entitled to the payment of the daily rate of Northern Ireland Residence Supplement (£7.29) for each day that paid training is undertaken.

CABINET OFFICE

Employment: Disability

David Davis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire, (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) England in each of the last five years for which data are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Yorkshire (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) England in each of the last five years for which data are available. (101525)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Table 1 shows the number of people identifying themselves as disabled who were in employment and resident in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency, (b) East Riding of Yorkshire (c) Yorkshire and The Humber and (d) England, for the 12 month periods ending in June from 2007 to 2011, from the APS.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of disabled (1)  people in employment resident in (a) Haltemprice and Howden, (b) East Riding of Yorkshire (c) Yorkshire and Humber and (d) England in each of the last five years 
			 Thousand 
			 12 months ending Haltemprice and Howden East Riding of Yorkshire Yorkshire and the Humber England 
			 June 2007 5 19 306 2,928 
			 June 2008 5 17 321 3,004 
			 June 2009 6 18 322 2,994 
			 June 2010 5 21 334 3,158 
			 June 2011(2) ****5 **21 *350 *3,401 
			 (1) People who are DDA disabled or have a work limiting disability. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Employment: Disability

David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London borough of Bexley and (c) London in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many disabled people were in paid work in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) the London Borough of Bexley and (c) London in each of the last five years. (101706)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	Due to small sample sizes estimates are not available for Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. Table 1 shows the number of people identifying themselves as disabled who were in employment and resident in (a) London Borough of Bexley and (b) London, for the 12 month periods ending in June from 2007 to 2011, from the APS.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of disabled (1)  people in employment resident in (a) Bexley and (b) London in each of the last five years. 
			  Bexley London 
			 12 months ending  June:   
			 2007 11 363 
			 2008 14 362 
			 2009 12 356 
			 2010 15 391 
			 2011(2) ***16 *445 
			 (1) People who are DDA disabled or have a work limiting disability. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220 Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤ CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤ CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≤ 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey.

Employment: Young People

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of those aged 18 to 24 years who re-entered the workplace following a period claiming jobseeker's allowance found employment with (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) other businesses and (c) public sector organisations in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what proportion of those aged 18 to 24 years who have re-entered the workplace following a period claiming jobseeker's allowance have found employment with (a) small and medium-sized enterprises, (b) other businesses and (c) public sector organisations in Birmingham, Ladywood constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. (101559)
	Claimant count data comes from information supplied by Jobcentre Plus. When terminating a Job Seeker's Allowance claim, data is only collected for generic categories e.g. found work, claiming another benefit and gone into full time education etc., and not on the size or type of business. Therefore it is not possible to provide the requested information.

JUSTICE

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to curb the practice of claims management companies (a) pursuing claims against lenders where the product in question was never sold and (b) automatically referring claims to the Financial Ombudsman Service when the lender has confirmed that the product in question was never sold to the consumer.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Claims Management Regulation Unit (“the Unit”) is working with the Financial Ombudsman Service, the Financial Services Authority and with many of the major banks and other lenders to identify bad practices carried out by claims management companies (“CMCs”) to gather the evidence needed to target regulatory investigations and help improve the claims process for consumers. In autumn 2011, the Unit established a specialist compliance team to focus on the practices used by some CMCs when dealing with claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI). The Unit has issued specific guidance to companies on handling PPI mis-selling claims, conducted a number of audits of CMCs and taken enforcement action where problems have been found. This priority work continues.

Coroners

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reason the use of public interest immunity applications during inquests is no longer considered adequate.

Jonathan Djanogly: Public Interest Immunity (PII) works very well in the majority of inquests. However, in a very small number of cases sensitive information has been relevant to inquest proceedings. If a PII application is successful, that information is excluded from proceedings, and the coroner or jury cannot take it into account when reaching their verdict. For example, in the inquests into the 7 July 2005 bombings the coroner approved an application for PII. This meant that relevant information could not be put before the inquests by the Security Service, and it could not be taken into account. This did not prevent the coroner reaching verdicts, but other cases may not be able to proceed as successfully. In extreme cases, an inquest might not be able to proceed at all if it cannot take account of centrally relevant sensitive information the disclosure of which would damage the public interest.

Courts: Translation Services

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  if he will estimate the number of court cases in Wales for which (a) translation or (b) an interpreter for a language other than Welsh was requested in each year since 2007; and what the language was in each case;
	(2)  for what purposes services relating to translation and interpretation by HM Courts and Tribunals Service have been contracted to external suppliers; and how many court cases have been delayed due to (a) non-attendance, (b) quality of the translation or interpreter or (c) any other language-related reason (i) since the introduction of the new contract and (ii) in the 12 months prior to the introduction of the new contract.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is as follows:
	(1) Prior to the implementation of the new arrangements information was not routinely collected on the number of court cases in Wales which required the services of an interpreter. On 20 March 2012, Official Report, column 672W, the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr Blunt), confirmed that the Chief Statistician of the Ministry of Justice is considering what interpreter data available under the new arrangements can be published by the end of May 2012.
	(2) The decision to enter into new arrangements was made because there were inherent problems and inefficiencies with the previous arrangements. The previous arrangements did not meet the needs of the justice system and did not represent good value for money for the public.
	Figures are not available on the number of court hearings delayed as a result of problems with interpreters either before or after the new contract started.

European Court of Human Rights

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on reform of the European Court of Human Rights and strengthening the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights since November 2011.

Kenneth Clarke: Since November 2011, the UK Government, as part of their activities as chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, have been working on building consensus among the 46 other members of the Council of Europe to a package of reform of the European Court of Human Rights and strengthening the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Our work is expected to culminate in a Declaration of intergovernmental agreement at a UK hosted conference in Brighton in April. This reform will carry forward the progress already made at the Interlaken and Izmir conferences held until previous Chairmanships.
	When the Prime Minister addressed the Council of Europe in January, he set out our priorities for reform, and how we intend to achieve them. These are reflected in the draft Declaration, along with proposals from other member states. We want to:
	encourage and assist states to take responsibility for implementing the Convention properly at a national level;
	help the Court efficiently clear its backlog of around 150,000 applications;
	reinforce the principle of subsidiarity;
	change the admissibility criteria to allow the Court to focus more on the most important and serious cases;
	put in place processes to ensure the best possible judges are elected to the Court.
	The draft Declaration has been developed in consultation with the other 46 Council of Europe member states and with civil society over the course of the last few months; it takes into account the final contribution from the Council of Europe expert committees and the opinion of the Court itself. Balancing the interests of so many parties is a challenge that cannot be underestimated, but we are confident about our prospects of using this rare opportunity to agree a practical programme of reform.

Harassment

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many convictions there were under section 4 (Putting someone in fear of violence) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in financial year 2010-11;
	(2)  how many convictions there were under section 5 (Breach of Restraining Order) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in financial year 2010-11;
	(3)  how many convictions there were under section 2 (Harassment) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in financial year 2010-11.

Crispin Blunt: The number of persons convicted at all courts, England and Wales 2010 (latest available) for sections 2, 4 and 5 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 are given in the following table.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in May
	2012.
	
		
			 Persons convicted at all courts, under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 Sections 2, 4 and 5, England and Wales, 2010 (1,2,3) 
			 Protection from Harassment Act 1997 Convicted 
			 Section 2: Harassment 4,740 
			 Section 4: Putting someone in fear of violence 797 
			 Section 5: Breach of a restraining order 2,921 
			 (1) Includes offences under the following statutes: Protection from Harassment Act 1977 and Protection from Harassment Act 1977 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998. (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Hollie Greig

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent assessment he has made of the case of Hollie Greig; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: As this case is the subject of ongoing court proceedings, I am prevented by Section 12 of the Administration of Justice Act 1960 from making any comment.

Legal Aid Scheme

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many criminal barristers earned more than £142,500 from the Criminal Defence Service scheme in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what payments were made from the Criminal Defence Service scheme to the 50 barristers who received the highest payments from the scheme in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Barristers receive payments for work carried out under the Criminal Defence Service from two payment sources; those payments made directly by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) for very high cost cases carried out under case contracts and those made directly by the Ministry on behalf of the LSC under a service level agreement. Providing this information would require manual merging all the data from both payment systems.
	Work is currently ongoing to identify the 25 highest paid barristers pursuant to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 371W.

Legal Aid Scheme: Travellers

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much funding the Legal Services Commission allocated to the Community Law Partnership to provide legal advice for travellers in relation to planning cases for (a) retrospective planning permission and (b) contesting planning enforcement notices in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10;
	(2)  how much funding the Legal Services Commission allocated through its exceptional funding scheme on assisting travellers in relation to planning cases for (a) retrospective planning permission and (b) contesting planning enforcement notices in (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.

Jonathan Djanogly: It is not possible to answer these questions in the exact format requested.
	Community Law Partnership is contracted with the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to provide face-to-face and telephone advice.
	In face-to-face advice, the LSC does not record travellers separately nor does it record planning cases to the level of detail requested. In telephone advice, the LSC only records cases under a category of 'Housing Other' and it is not possible to distinguish, from this category, the costs of retrospective planning permission and contesting planning enforcement notices from other costs associated with housing matters.
	The cost of ‘Housing Other' telephone advice cases that closed in 2008-09 and 2009-10 was £22,272 and £20,347 respectively.
	Representation at planning inquiries is generally excluded from the scope of the legal aid scheme. Under the exceptional funding scheme, the Lord Chancellor may authorise the LSC to grant funding in individual excluded cases, where the LSC first requests it.
	The Ministry of Justice authorised the LSC to grant funding of £13,959 in 2008-09 and £3,210 in 2009-10 for Gypsies and Travellers to be represented at planning inquiries. It is not possible to disaggregate from these costs funding for matters involving retrospective planning applications or planning enforcement notices. The final amounts paid may have varied slightly from the figures aforementioned as the LSC can adjust the grant if necessary (for example if the hearing is longer, or shorter, than expected).

Members: Correspondence

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter of 20 December 2011 from the hon. Member for Wakefield on prisoner transfer agreements.

Jonathan Djanogly: I apologise for the delay in responding, this was due to an administrative error. We will respond shortly.

Prisoners: Mental Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, column 758W, on sentencing: mental health, if he will make it his policy that his Department will centrally collect data on the mental health of the prison population.

Paul Burstow: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	Commissioning responsibility for prison health care transferred from the Prison Service to the national health service in 2006. Since this date, primary care trusts (PCTs) have provided or commissioned health services, including prison mental health. Data on prisoner health care may be collected by individual PCTs but is not collected centrally by the Department, since it is not responsible for providing or commissioning treatment. From April 2013, the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) will be responsible for commissioning all health services for those in prison As part of that commissioning responsibility the NHS CB may choose, in the future, to collect data on the mental health of the prison population.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many assaults on prison staff were reported in 2011; and how many resulted in prosecutions.

Crispin Blunt: The number of assaults on prison staff are published in the annual Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin. The official figures for 2011 will be published in July 2012. The number of prosecutions arising from assaults on prison staff are not collected centrally.

Repossession Orders

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many possession actions were carried out in respect of (a) mortgages, (b) private rent and (c) social rented properties in each county court area in each quarter from 2010 to the most recent quarter for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The following tables show the numbers of possession claims issued in respect of (a) mortgages, (b) private rent under the standard landlord procedure, (c) social rent under the standard landlord procedure, and (d) private and social rent under the accelerated landlord procedure in each county court area and for each quarter in 2010 and 2011.
	The Ministry of Justice does not hold information about which accelerated possession claims relate to social landlords and which relate to private landlords. The accelerated possession procedure is used by landlords in relation to assured shorthold tenancies, when the fixed period of tenancy has come to an end. It enables orders to be made by the court solely on the basis of written evidence and without calling the parties to a hearing.
	These figures do not indicate how many properties have actually been repossessed. Repossessions can occur without a claim being issued, such as where borrowers hand the keys back to the lender. Also, not all possession claims result in repossession. Many orders made in these cases are suspended and if the borrower complies with the repayment arrangements set out in the suspended order the property will not be repossessed.
	Claims and claims leading to orders figures for all county courts in England and Wales can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/civil-justice/mortgage-possession
	
		
			 Quarterly number of mo rtgage possession claims issued  in the county courts of England and Wales, 2010 to 2011 
			  2010 2011 
			  Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 
			 England and Wales 18,805 18,395 20,384 17,847 19,608 18,339 18,763 16,472 
			          
			 London 2,465 2,355 2,600 2,275 2,465 2,245 2,360 2,020 
			          
			 Barnet Civil and Family Courts Centre 105 75 110 115 100 100 105 80 
			 Bow County Court 280 265 300 265 260 215 255 205 
			 Brentford County Court 120 115 145 115 135 120 110 105 
			 Bromley County Court 215 185 205 180 180 185 175 150 
			 Central London County Court 80 70 65 65 165 85 60 55 
			 Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court 115 115 125 115 95 85 100 85 
			 Croydon County Court 290 265 315 275 290 275 270 260 
			 Edmonton County Court 225 210 245 205 200 215 195 185 
			 Ilford County Court 100 130 105 100 120 105 130 85 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames County Court 70 60 85 65 70 65 105 75 
			 Lambeth County Court 185 175 165 145 150 130 155 130 
			 Mayors and City of London Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Romford County Court 170 170 190 155 180 155 175 160 
			 Uxbridge County Court 105 95 120 90 135 95 100 75 
			 Wandsworth County Court 100 95 95 95 75 80 90 80 
			 West London County Court 40 45 45 40 40 50 45 40 
			 Willesden County Court 150 165 160 145 140 155 135 135 
			 Woolwich County Court 115 120 125 105 130 130 135 110 
			          
			 Midlands 3,560 3,555 3,895 3,395 3,725 3,500 3,480 3,130 
			          
			 Birmingham Civil Justice Centre and Family Courts 520 565 585 515 610 580 570 530 
			 Boston County Court 45 65 85 60 60 60 70 120 
			 Burton-on-Trent County Court 85 90 95 85 70 65 125 110 
			 Buxton County Court 10 15 10 10 20 20 15 10 
			 Chesterfield County Court 85 75 95 55 80 75 70 65 
			 Coventry Combined Court Centre 115 125 155 125 130 130 140 115 
			 Derby Combined Court Centre 175 160 190 165 170 140 150 155 
			 Dudley County Court 105 95 115 95 110 100 110 145 
			 Evesham County Court 20 (2)— 20 20 15 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Grantham County Court 30 35 35 25 25 25 30 (2)— 
			 Hereford County Court 30 35 30 30 50 30 35 35 
			 Kettering County Court 105 90 110 90 100 80 165 120 
			 Kidderminster County Court 45 35 50 40 30 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Leicester County Court 220 210 255 220 235 185 230 215 
			 Lincoln County Court 100 120 115 100 115 120 85 110 
			 Ludlow County Court 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Mansfield Magistrates and County Court 125 150 115 95 140 120 145 155 
			 Melton Mowbray County Court 15 20 20 25 20 20 (2)— (2)— 
			 Newark County Court 30 20 25 25 25 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Northampton Combined Court 125 125 140 130 150 160 125 100 
			 Nottingham County Court 270 245 265 250 220 245 230 230 
			 Nuneaton County Court 110 115 125 110 135 105 100 125 
			 Oswestry County Court 20 10 20 15 15 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Redditch County Court 60 55 60 45 50 75 (2)— (2)— 
			 Rugby County Court 45 45 35 35 50 40 40 (2)— 
			 Shrewsbury County Court 40 25 35 25 35 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Skegness County Court 25 30 25 20 30 25 20 (2)— 
			 Stafford Combined Court Centre 55 55 60 50 50 55 60 55 
		
	
	
		
			 Stoke-on-Trent Combined Court 195 200 240 175 205 185 190 185 
			 Stourbridge County Court 60 60 65 60 75 65 55 (2)— 
			 Stratford on Avon County Court 10 10 10 20 10 20 10 (2)— 
			 Tamworth County Court 55 55 55 60 50 45 (2)— (2)— 
			 Telford County Court 70 80 80 95 85 75 130 105 
			 Walsall County Court 225 185 220 195 200 195 205 160 
			 Warwick Combined Court 35 35 35 20 35 20 30 45 
			 Wellingborough County Court 60 75 80 70 75 75 (2)— (2)— 
			 Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre 95 115 110 115 120 120 115 90 
			 Worcester Combined Court 45 60 50 45 55 60 165 150 
			 Worksop County Court 75 60 75 65 70 55 60 (2)— 
			          
			 North East 3,230 3,200 3,520 3,100 3,440 3,110 3,190 2,740 
			          
			 Barnsley Law Courts 100 80 100 95 85 90 95 95 
			 Bishop Auckland County Court(1) 55 60 50 65 55 50 (2)— (2)— 
			 Bradford Combined Court Centre 225 225 205 205 205 205 205 180 
			 Consett County Court(1) 50 45 55 40 40 40 (2)— (2)— 
			 Darlington County Court 95 100 95 80 85 85 120 95 
			 Dewsbury County Court 100 140 135 110 130 115 130 105 
			 Doncaster County Court 210 205 225 185 230 195 180 170 
			 Durham County Court 100 95 115 90 125 110 205 180 
			 Gateshead County Court 110 110 105 90 95 85 100 80 
			 Great Grimsby Combined Court Centre 100 90 100 110 140 120 90 95 
			 Halifax County Court 75 105 110 95 100 85 90 85 
			 Harrogate County Court 35 30 35 35 45 30 40 30 
			 Hartlepool County Court 60 55 75 70 90 55 65 50 
			 Huddersfield County Court 90 100 100 80 95 85 100 75 
			 Keighley County Court 45 40 50 40 50 30 50 35 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull Combined Court Centre 185 185 185 175 200 205 145 170 
			 Leeds Combined Court Centre 215 220 265 205 225 210 235 190 
			 Morpeth and Berwick County Court 70 75 95 75 80 75 70 60 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Combined Court Centre 150 135 175 135 130 135 135 95 
			 North Shields County Court 65 55 80 65 75 55 70 60 
			 Pontefract County Court 100 85 100 95 105 100 75 60 
			 Rotherham County Court 105 120 125 110 105 95 100 90 
			 Scarborough County Court 60 50 75 85 80 75 65 55 
			 Scunthorpe County Court 75 55 75 75 80 55 75 65 
			 Sheffield Combined Court Centre 210 240 215 190 200 170 210 175 
			 Skipton County Court 15 15 20 20 30 15 20 15 
			 South Shields County Court 60 60 60 65 75 75 65 45 
			 Sunderland County Court 90 95 125 75 110 105 85 95 
			 Teesside Combined Court Centre 240 200 225 205 230 220 230 175 
			 Wakefield County Court 75 60 70 70 65 60 55 50 
			 York County Court 65 70 85 65 85 65 80 60 
			          
			 North West 2,960 2,895 3,225 2,980 3,165 2,955 3,060 2,740 
			          
			 Accrington County Court 40 20 35 25 35 35 50 35 
			 Altrincham County Court 50 55 40 55 50 50 40 45 
			 Barrow-in-Furness County Court 30 50 35 40 30 35 35 55 
			 Birkenhead County Court 125 125 145 115 130 140 130 125 
			 Blackburn County Court 95 80 100 85 85 90 95 85 
			 Blackpool County Court 135 155 155 135 175 155 145 125 
			 Bolton Combined Court Centre 115 120 145 120 125 125 130 120 
			 Burnley Combined Court Centre 110 90 90 85 90 105 145 100 
			 Bury County Court 105 90 120 100 100 100 115 130 
			 Carlisle Combined Court Centre 50 40 50 45 45 45 40 45 
			 Chester Civil Justice Centre 70 70 60 65 75 60 90 90 
			 Chorley County Court 25 40 40 45 50 55 (2)— (2)— 
			 Crewe County Court 40 55 65 60 55 50 90 80 
		
	
	
		
			 Kendal County Court 15 (2)— 10 10 15 20 20 10 
			 Lancaster County Court 35 50 65 40 50 60 55 50 
			 Leigh County Court(1) 55 60 65 60 60 40 (2)— (2)— 
			 Liverpool Civil and Family Court 350 335 325 330 360 295 430 335 
			 Macclesfield County Court 40 55 40 45 60 40 50 35 
			 Manchester County Court 235 210 215 275 200 205 375 325 
			 Nelson County Court(1) (29 January 2010) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northwich County Court(1) 30 40 55 45 55 50 (2)— (2)— 
			 Oldham County Court 200 175 225 195 175 205 215 185 
			 Penrith County Court(1) (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Preston Combined Court Centre 115 100 125 100 120 110 125 120 
			 Rawtenstall County Court 40 35 35 30 45 40 (2)— (2)— 
			 Salford County Court(1) 130 140 170 160 175 150 (2)— (2)— 
			 Southport County Court(1) 60 55 60 50 75 50 (2)— (2)— 
			 St. Helens County Court 155 125 175 150 165 145 145 125 
			 Stockport Magistrates and County Court 105 100 105 105 115 90 95 80 
			 Tameside County Court 125 115 150 125 130 105 125 120 
			 Warrington and Runcorn County Courts 120 120 125 125 130 130 130 110 
			 West Cumbria Court House 30 35 50 35 35 25 35 35 
			 Wigan County Court 130 140 135 130 155 150 165 175 
			          
			 South East 3,480 3,475 3,820 3,400 3,635 3,525 3,615 3,180 
			          
			 Ashford County Court(1) 75 80 75 75 75 45 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aylesbury County Court 50 55 55 40 45 50 55 50 
			 Banbury County Court 35 45 45 30 40 40 30 30 
			 Basildon Combined Court 175 185 215 155 195 205 195 165 
			 Bedford County Court 55 50 55 40 55 80 75 60 
			 Brighton County Court 65 60 85 75 80 80 90 85 
			 Bury St. Edmunds County Court 45 60 65 70 60 60 70 55 
			 Cambridge County Court 60 60 70 80 60 65 90 55 
			 Canterbury Combined Court Centre 95 70 85 80 95 100 140 110 
			 Chelmsford County and Family Proceedings Court 70 70 75 80 75 75 135 120 
			 Chichester Combined Court Centre 40 60 50 55 60 70 55 60 
			 Colchester County Court 140 145 165 105 135 140 140 135 
			 Dartford County Court 140 140 165 150 165 160 205 180 
			 Eastbourne County Court 50 45 50 40 55 40 45 50 
			 Epsom County Court(1) 55 65 65 60 65 60 (2)— (2)— 
			 Gravesend County Court(1) (1 April 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Guildford County Court 50 45 60 45 65 50 60 40 
			 Harlow County Court(1) 55 55 55 55 65 55 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hastings County Court 60 50 55 50 65 55 70 40 
			 Haywards Heath County Court(1) 35 25 40 30 25 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hertford County Court 35 30 35 30 40 30 35 25 
			 High Wycombe County Court 50 50 55 55 45 40 45 35 
			 Hitchin County Court(1) 65 60 80 70 80 60 (2)— (2)— 
			 Horsham County Court 55 50 55 50 60 50 65 50 
			 Huntingdon County Court(1) 40 35 45 40 45 20 (2)— (2)— 
			 Ipswich County Court 85 80 90 75 80 75 80 70 
			 King's Lynn County Court 80 75 70 85 75 80 90 70 
			 Lewes Combined Court Centre 25 20 20 15 25 20 25 15 
			 Lowestoft County Court(1) 60 60 75 60 65 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Luton County Court 135 150 155 125 145 155 200 195 
			 Maidstone Combined Court Centre 85 65 60 55 55 70 80 70 
			 Medway County Court 195 175 245 180 220 190 180 180 
			 Milton Keynes County Court 130 120 115 145 115 125 120 125 
			 Newbury County Court(1) 20 30 25 25 10 20 (2)— (2)— 
			 Norwich Combined Court Centre 135 145 100 120 110 120 170 150 
			 Oxford Combined Court Centre 100 85 90 75 95 90 90 95 
			 Peterborough Combined Court Centre 135 140 180 130 130 165 190 150 
			 Reading County Court 125 115 120 115 115 120 150 115 
		
	
	
		
			 Reigate County Court 35 30 35 35 35 30 40 35 
			 Slough County Court 100 80 95 105 100 90 110 90 
			 Southend County Court 135 115 140 115 145 130 140 115 
			 St. Albans County Court 25 30 45 40 35 25 15 40 
			 Staines County Court 65 70 65 50 65 70 65 60 
			 Thanet County Court 45 85 65 60 55 55 55 60 
			 Tunbridge Wells County Court 35 50 60 60 45 50 60 55 
			 Watford County Court 100 115 120 95 110 120 110 100 
			 Worthing County Court 45 40 40 60 55 50 45 40 
			          
			 South West 1,820 1,695 1,935 1,560 1,835 1,730 1,780 1,545 
			          
			 Aldershot and Farnham County Court 75 70 95 65 90 60 60 70 
			 Barnstaple County Court 40 35 40 30 35 40 25 25 
			 Basingstoke County Court 55 65 45 40 55 55 60 45 
			 Bath County Court 20 25 25 15 25 15 20 30 
			 Bodmin County Court 50 60 55 45 40 55 50 35 
			 Bournemouth and Poole County Court 145 135 140 125 135 140 160 120 
			 Bristol County Court 180 190 220 175 220 170 200 180 
			 Exeter Combined Court Centre 55 35 70 55 60 50 60 40 
			 Gloucester and Cheltenham County Court 140 140 155 115 155 130 145 115 
			 Isle of Wight Combined Court 45 40 45 50 40 40 40 40 
			 Penzance County Court(1) 35 30 40 30 35 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Plymouth Combined Court 140 90 100 90 135 90 95 90 
			 Portsmouth Combined Court Centre 195 185 195 155 180 155 200 155 
			 Salisbury Law Courts 20 20 20 20 20 25 25 25 
			 Southampton Combined Court Centre 105 115 135 100 120 125 110 120 
			 Swindon Combined Court 130 95 130 105 110 130 125 100 
			 Taunton County Court 65 45 45 40 60 55 55 45 
			 Torquay and Newton Abbot County Court 75 80 95 70 85 90 70 70 
			 Trowbridge County Court 65 50 60 60 65 70 55 60 
			 Truro County Court 50 30 30 20 25 60 70 60 
			 Weston-super-Mare County Court 55 50 70 55 55 65 55 50 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court Centre 25 25 35 20 25 25 25 20 
			 Winchester Combined Court Centre 20 10 15 20 10 10 10 10 
			 Yeovil County Court 40 70 80 60 55 60 65 50 
			          
			 Wales 1,290 1,220 1,385 1,135 1,340 1,275 1,280 1,120 
			          
			 Aberdare County Court(1) 35 50 30 35 35 40 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aberystwyth County Court 15 (2)— 10 10 10 15 20 10 
			 Blackwood Civil and Family Court 95 95 110 90 105 120 100 110 
			 Brecon Law Courts 10 10 10 (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— 
			 Bridgend Law Courts 70 75 95 65 85 75 85 70 
			 Caernarfon County Court 30 25 25 30 45 35 25 25 
			 Cardiff Civil Justice Centre 185 200 220 185 190 205 205 165 
			 Carmarthen County Court 30 35 40 35 30 30 35 25 
			 Conwy and Colwyn County Court 45 45 40 25 25 30 30 30 
			 Haverfordwest County Court 35 35 35 40 45 40 45 30 
			 Llanelli County Court 50 40 45 35 50 45 30 40 
			 Llangefni County Court 20 25 25 25 25 20 20 30 
			 Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre 25 25 40 25 35 20 70 60 
			 Mold County Court 40 35 60 40 45 30 35 40 
			 Neath and Port Talbot County Court 90 70 85 70 80 70 75 75 
			 Newport (Gwent) Civil and Family Court 135 115 130 120 110 125 120 90 
			 Pontypool County Court(1) 25 35 20 15 50 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Pontypridd County Court 125 95 105 105 100 90 105 100 
			 Rhyl County Court 55 50 65 50 65 70 65 60 
			 Swansea Civil Justice Centre 115 100 125 70 115 110 110 95 
		
	
	
		
			 Welshpool and Newtown County Court 10 (2)— 15 10 10 15 10 20 
			 Wrexham Magistrates and County Courts 50 50 60 60 70 65 85 45 
			 (1) Courts closed or merged with other county courts. (2) The figure is not provided as the number of claims issued is either seven or less. Note: Figures below England and Wales level are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Quarterly number of social landlord possession claims issued under the standard procedure in the county courts of England and Wales, 2010 to 2011 
			  2010 2011 
			  Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 
			 England and Wales 24,235 20,444 23,207 22,331 24,262 21,397 24,783 23,190 
			          
			 London 6,150 5,080 5,460 5,440 5,775 4,980 5,745 5,515 
			          
			 Barnet Civil and Family Courts Centre 140 165 100 105 110 135 115 90 
			 Bow County Court 505 420 465 465 430 410 460 340 
			 Brentford County Court 230 215 195 270 220 210 225 240 
			 Bromley County Court 310 245 265 250 290 220 245 250 
			 Central London County Court 410 310 345 335 295 240 340 310 
			 Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court 790 605 730 745 680 565 785 695 
			 Croydon County Court 415 300 465 380 435 395 470 545 
			 Edmonton County Court 435 385 460 430 475 455 465 445 
			 Ilford County Court 150 130 125 165 250 130 195 220 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames County Court 75 65 70 85 70 60 105 100 
			 Lambeth County Court 1,070 845 795 650 755 710 680 670 
			 Mayors and City of London Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Romford County Court 160 130 210 195 400 205 310 345 
			 Uxbridge County Court 285 230 300 345 270 250 220 200 
			 Wandsworth County Court 275 265 260 255 305 270 265 320 
			 West London County Court 150 165 130 165 205 175 220 180 
			 Willesden County Court 330 260 205 340 305 250 255 275 
			 Woolwich County Court 420 355 335 270 275 305 385 290 
			          
			 Midlands 4,420 3,790 4,350 4,475 4,425 3,900 4,520 4,250 
			          
			 Birmingham Civil Justice Centre and Family Courts 855 815 945 935 895 745 955 905 
			 Boston County Court 35 30 35 40 25 30 50 95 
			 Burton-on-Trent County Court 45 30 65 55 30 50 80 65 
			 Buxton County Court 25 25 15 15 20 15 15 15 
			 Chesterfield County Court 160 110 145 145 120 130 100 125 
			 Coventry Combined Court Centre 160 135 140 140 140 135 135 150 
			 Derby Combined Court Centre 175 155 155 190 165 160 145 195 
			 Dudley County Court 110 95 110 125 115 100 130 215 
			 Evesham County Court 30 20 25 25 30 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Grantham County Court 35 30 40 40 35 25 40 (2)— 
			 Hereford County Court 45 50 50 40 65 50 70 50 
			 Kettering County Court 75 45 70 60 95 60 135 130 
			 Kidderminster County Court 60 65 60 50 60 80 (2)— (2)— 
			 Leicester County Court 280 215 260 305 280 305 320 325 
			 Lincoln County Court 75 70 60 65 70 65 70 60 
			 Ludlow County Court 10 10 20 (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Mansfield Magistrates and County Court 115 110 115 130 115 145 155 135 
			 Melton Mowbray County Court 10 20 (2)— 15 15 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Newark County Court 10 10 15 20 20 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Northampton Combined Court 150 160 130 125 160 145 160 90 
			 Nottingham County Court 525 430 480 515 470 400 485 435 
			 Nuneaton County Court 45 80 105 100 125 85 105 140 
			 Oswestry County Court 10 10 10 15 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Redditch County Court 65 55 55 65 90 55 (2)— (2)— 
			 Rugby County Court 45 45 40 35 45 30 35 (2)— 
			 Shrewsbury County Court 35 20 30 35 35 35 (2)— (2)— 
			 Skegness County Court 15 25 20 15 15 10 15 (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Stafford Combined Court Centre 35 30 55 45 55 40 70 45 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Combined Court 210 145 210 185 165 115 190 195 
			 Stourbridge County Court 50 50 65 70 75 75 55 (2)— 
			 Stratford on Avon County Court 20 15 30 30 35 20 30 (2)— 
			 Tamworth County Court 40 30 30 30 25 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Telford County Court 55 50 65 65 75 50 155 135 
			 Walsall County Court 165 150 185 200 220 170 195 170 
			 Warwick Combined Court 35 35 55 55 35 55 35 80 
			 Wellingborough County Court 50 70 60 75 60 50 (2)— (2)— 
			 Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre 375 210 245 280 275 255 280 260 
			 Worcester Combined Court 115 105 100 115 120 95 285 235 
			 Worksop County Court 50 35 35 35 30 30 25 (2)— 
			          
			 North East 3,080 2,665 3,190 2,795 3,230 3,105 3,295 2,970 
			          
			 Barnsley Law Courts 110 90 85 75 115 100 115 105 
			 Bishop Auckland County Court(1) 65 65 55 50 50 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Bradford Combined Court Centre 100 95 85 70 115 80 110 95 
			 Consett County Court(1) 50 40 35 40 50 40 (2)— (2)— 
			 Darlington County Court 100 80 100 105 80 95 90 100 
			 Dewsbury County Court 80 80 75 60 95 75 75 90 
			 Doncaster County Court 95 65 85 65 100 110 130 115 
			 Durham County Court 100 95 105 90 115 85 115 100 
			 Gateshead County Court 125 90 100 100 115 80 120 125 
			 Great Grimsby Combined Court Centre 55 35 35 45 50 60 80 95 
			 Halifax County Court 55 55 95 95 100 100 110 80 
			 Harrogate County Court 10 20 25 25 20 20 15 20 
			 Hartlepool County Court 65 60 85 50 60 50 40 55 
			 Huddersfield County Court 80 65 85 45 65 50 60 60 
			 Keighley County Court 15 15 15 20 20 15 20 30 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull Combined Court Centre 165 125 140 105 165 210 135 120 
			 Leeds Combined Court Centre 185 175 185 205 165 170 255 275 
			 Morpeth and Berwick County Court 55 25 65 65 80 80 95 100 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Combined Court Centre 400 320 470 375 435 455 410 305 
			 North Shields County Court 100 55 100 90 145 110 120 100 
			 Pontefract County Court 45 40 55 25 50 55 45 50 
			 Rotherham County Court 80 80 85 80 85 60 100 90 
			 Scarborough County Court 30 40 45 40 45 35 45 35 
			 Scunthorpe County Court 40 20 20 35 30 30 40 45 
			 Sheffield Combined Court Centre 335 325 450 320 315 315 370 330 
			 Skipton County Court 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 South Shields County Court 95 130 135 105 145 165 155 125 
			 Sunderland County Court 100 95 70 85 100 65 70 70 
			 Teesside Combined Court Centre 190 145 170 185 160 225 195 150 
			 Wakefield County Court 60 60 50 45 50 70 60 40 
			 York County Court 80 65 80 90 100 75 115 60 
			          
			 North West 3,120 2,715 3,270 2,915 3,380 3,070 3,460 3,185 
			          
			 Accrington County Court 20 20 20 25 30 15 20 25 
			 Altrincham County Court 60 30 45 55 45 25 50 50 
			 Barrow-in-Furness County Court 20 20 20 25 25 25 35 20 
			 Birkenhead County Court 110 100 105 95 95 90 105 95 
			 Blackburn County Court 70 60 50 80 55 65 80 85 
			 Blackpool County Court 45 45 35 55 65 50 55 55 
			 Bolton Combined Court Centre 105 95 85 70 110 115 110 145 
			 Burnley Combined Court Centre 35 20 20 25 35 15 30 45 
			 Bury County Court 75 55 85 55 80 80 70 80 
			 Carlisle Combined Court Centre 30 30 30 30 45 45 45 40 
			 Chester Civil Justice Centre 45 30 40 40 35 40 55 60 
			 Chorley County Court 70 20 55 45 45 45 (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Crewe County Court 35 45 50 35 30 30 80 65 
			 Kendal County Court 15 10 15 15 15 15 15 30 
			 Lancaster County Court 45 15 25 35 30 30 25 20 
			 Leigh County Court(1) 15 20 25 15 25 20 (2)— (2)— 
			 Liverpool Civil and Family Court 525 410 435 385 555 490 485 520 
			 Macclesfield County Court 35 30 50 35 55 40 50 50 
			 Manchester County Court 495 410 600 525 615 505 825 675 
			 Nelson County Court(1) (29 January 2010) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northwich County Court(1) 30 25 40 30 30 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Oldham County Court 150 210 200 210 180 210 260 220 
			 Penrith County Court(1) (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Preston Combined Court Centre 155 120 145 135 140 170 250 200 
			 Rawtenstall County Court 25 30 20 20 25 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Salford County Court(1) 210 160 220 195 215 145 (2)— (2)— 
			 Southport County Court(1) 25 15 30 20 15 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 St. Helens County Court 135 115 140 145 235 160 180 150 
			 Stockport Magistrates and County Court 170 155 180 110 140 185 185 185 
			 Tameside County Court 160 185 170 140 140 160 155 110 
			 Warrington and Runcorn County Courts 100 95 150 110 115 115 120 100 
			 West Cumbria Court House 45 45 60 65 30 35 50 45 
			 Wigan County Court 55 75 115 95 115 85 115 110 
			          
			 South East 4,320 3,610 4,060 3,965 4,460 3,780 4,710 4,360 
			          
			 Ashford County Court(1) 60 40 55 55 60 35 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aylesbury County Court 75 60 65 55 70 55 65 80 
			 Banbury County Court 20 30 35 30 30 20 35 45 
			 Basildon Combined Court 220 160 185 180 165 170 200 165 
			 Bedford County Court 90 95 85 100 150 140 105 85 
			 Brighton County Court 85 45 100 55 75 75 95 85 
			 Bury St. Edmunds County Court 65 80 70 95 85 85 110 90 
			 Cambridge County Court 185 135 170 145 150 150 180 195 
			 Canterbury Combined Court Centre 80 50 55 40 55 85 150 105 
			 Chelmsford County and Family Proceedings Court 100 55 60 90 70 95 165 150 
			 Chichester Combined Court Centre 85 35 60 50 70 55 60 75 
			 Colchester County Court 170 130 135 105 145 120 110 135 
			 Dartford County Court 205 190 165 255 195 150 235 275 
			 Eastbourne County Court 15 20 20 20 40 35 35 30 
			 Epsom County Court(1) 75 75 50 50 45 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Gravesend County Court(1) (1 April 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Guildford County Court 90 55 70 70 55 35 65 70 
			 Harlow County Court(1) 90 85 70 95 95 75 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hastings County Court 50 45 50 50 45 40 70 50 
			 Haywards Heath County Court(1) 45 15 10 15 35 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hertford County Court 85 80 75 80 105 55 65 85 
			 High Wycombe County Court 65 45 50 65 80 50 75 70 
			 Hitchin County Court(1) 130 135 165 135 150 105 (2)— (2)— 
			 Horsham County Court 45 45 45 35 45 35 45 45 
			 Huntingdon County Court(1) 45 35 40 50 45 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Ipswich County Court 120 100 105 135 165 115 155 145 
			 King's Lynn County Court 65 65 90 70 95 80 100 105 
			 Lewes Combined Court Centre 20 10 20 15 15 10 20 10 
			 Lowestoft County Court(1) 55 15 45 45 55 35 (2)— (2)— 
			 Luton County Court 95 140 120 115 110 105 290 280 
			 Maidstone Combined Court Centre 115 110 110 140 100 100 105 110 
			 Medway County Court 90 65 105 85 80 100 85 105 
			 Milton Keynes County Court 125 130 130 130 155 120 135 125 
			 Newbury County Court(1) 35 25 25 30 50 45 (2)— (2)— 
			 Norwich Combined Court Centre 200 205 220 185 225 215 350 305 
			 Oxford Combined Court Centre 145 145 120 160 160 130 235 180 
			 Peterborough Combined Court Centre 125 105 175 130 215 220 315 275 
		
	
	
		
			 Reading County Court 150 130 155 110 140 140 225 170 
			 Reigate County Court 45 40 40 40 45 30 50 40 
			 Slough County Court 135 140 130 105 130 105 125 100 
			 Southend County Court 110 85 65 90 85 60 100 60 
			 St. Albans County Court 75 60 85 75 85 60 65 70 
			 Staines County Court 75 70 70 90 105 70 75 80 
			 Thanet County Court 55 15 55 40 55 45 90 70 
			 Tunbridge Wells County Court 95 90 110 115 115 80 125 105 
			 Watford County Court 170 115 170 140 170 160 165 165 
			 Worthing County Court 30 25 25 25 50 20 35 30 
			          
			 South West 1,895 1,530 1,700 1,690 1,800 1,620 2,020 1,980 
			          
			 Aldershot and Farnham County Court 110 75 70 65 105 70 105 80 
			 Barnstaple County Court 25 10 20 15 15 30 25 30 
			 Basingstoke County Court 150 85 110 105 115 135 180 160 
			 Bath County Court 25 25 25 25 30 25 20 25 
			 Bodmin County Court 35 15 35 25 25 25 30 25 
			 Bournemouth and Poole County Court 90 75 100 90 95 110 95 130 
			 Bristol County Court 200 190 180 215 190 175 200 185 
			 Exeter Combined Court Centre 95 95 95 95 85 85 105 90 
			 Gloucester and Cheltenham County Court 160 110 125 135 140 110 160 175 
			 Isle of Wight Combined Court 25 20 30 25 35 30 25 15 
			 Penzance County Court(1) 30 25 15 20 60 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Plymouth Combined Court 55 130 140 145 130 120 150 135 
			 Portsmouth Combined Court Centre 210 140 170 140 150 145 165 205 
			 Salisbury Law Courts 40 50 35 35 30 30 45 40 
			 Southampton Combined Court Centre 150 120 130 120 105 95 130 105 
			 Swindon Combined Court 95 80 90 110 125 85 150 145 
			 Taunton County Court 55 50 50 65 80 55 40 70 
			 Torquay and Newton Abbot County Court 45 40 35 20 40 40 60 40 
			 Trowbridge County Court 90 65 75 85 65 65 115 75 
			 Truro County Court 15 10 15 15 15 35 45 70 
			 Weston-super-Mare County Court 20 15 15 20 15 15 30 30 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court Centre 65 45 30 40 50 45 35 50 
			 Winchester Combined Court Centre 35 15 20 20 20 25 25 30 
			 Yeovil County Court 75 45 90 60 75 65 90 70 
			          
			 Wales 1,255 1,055 1,180 1,050 1,195 945 1,035 935 
			          
			 Aberdare County Court(1) 40 30 25 25 25 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aberystwyth County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 20 20 15 10 
			 Blackwood Civil and Family Court 80 75 60 45 65 85 110 80 
			 Brecon Law Courts 15 10 10 10 10 15 15 10 
			 Bridgend Law Courts 50 20 35 35 35 25 30 15 
			 Caernarfon County Court 20 20 15 20 10 10 (2)— 20 
			 Cardiff Civil Justice Centre 235 200 210 185 220 155 205 180 
			 Carmarthen County Court 10 20 15 25 15 20 20 15 
			 Conwy and Colwyn County Court 25 20 35 15 15 15 20 20 
			 Haverfordwest County Court 80 65 65 100 80 70 70 50 
			 Llanelli County Court 75 55 40 40 60 45 60 35 
			 Llangefni County Court (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 
			 Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre 40 45 35 30 40 30 55 40 
			 Mold County Court 20 20 30 15 30 20 (2)— 25 
			 Neath and Port Talbot County Court 55 65 75 70 30 30 25 95 
			 Newport (Gwent) Civil and Family Court 125 105 135 80 140 85 115 85 
			 Pontypool County Court(1) 60 35 45 55 40 35 (2)— (2)— 
			 Pontypridd County Court 75 55 80 60 70 45 30 45 
			 Rhyl County Court 40 30 25 25 30 15 25 15 
			 Swansea Civil Justice Centre 130 110 110 90 150 110 115 110 
		
	
	
		
			 Welshpool and Newtown County Court 20 15 20 25 20 15 20 20 
			 Wrexham Magistrates and County Courts 60 50 95 90 95 80 100 60 
			 (1) Courts closed or merged with other county courts. (2) The figure is not provided as the number of claims leading to an order being made is either seven or less. Note: Figures below England and Wales level are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Quarterly number of private landlord possession claims issued under the standard procedure in the county courts of England and Wales, 2010 to 2011 
			  2010 2011 
			  Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 
			 England and Wales 6,231 5,844 5,688 5,384 6,254 5,492 5,721 5,274 
			          
			 London 1,975 1,850 1,765 1,805 1,900 1,780 1,990 1,790 
			          
			 Barnet Civil and Family Courts Centre 90 90 95 75 85 95 105 85 
			 Bow County Court 235 225 180 215 235 220 220 190 
			 Brentford County Court 115 105 100 105 115 85 120 95 
			 Bromley County Court 125 115 85 85 100 125 120 110 
			 Central London County Court 160 120 125 165 115 105 155 150 
			 Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court 105 105 120 105 130 100 115 145 
			 Croydon County Court 145 155 170 145 160 165 130 185 
			 Edmonton County Court 190 160 155 180 170 170 180 165 
			 Ilford County Court 65 70 75 75 85 80 95 65 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames County Court 40 40 30 35 50 40 60 45 
			 Lambeth County Court 140 125 110 100 120 105 125 100 
			 Mayors and City of London Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Romford County Court 85 105 115 80 100 90 80 75 
			 Uxbridge County Court 70 70 60 50 65 55 75 50 
			 Wandsworth County Court 75 60 65 65 50 80 75 55 
			 West London County Court 90 75 75 105 70 60 100 80 
			 Willesden County Court 160 125 130 140 165 125 140 125 
			 Woolwich County Court 85 105 80 75 85 80 95 75 
			          
			 Midlands 755 725 720 670 770 710 710 660 
			          
			 Birmingham Civil Justice Centre and Family Courts 145 160 115 125 140 125 150 155 
			 Boston County Court 10 10 15 10 15 10 15 15 
			 Burton-on-Trent County Court 15 10 25 15 (2)— 15 20 10 
			 Buxton County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Chesterfield County Court 10 10 10 15 10 10 10 15 
			 Coventry Combined Court Centre 25 40 25 25 45 40 30 25 
			 Derby Combined Court Centre 35 40 40 30 35 35 45 40 
			 Dudley County Court 15 20 20 25 20 20 15 30 
			 Evesham County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Grantham County Court (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hereford County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Kettering County Court 20 10 20 20 15 20 30 30 
			 Kidderminster County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Leicester County Court 75 55 60 55 65 65 50 60 
			 Lincoln County Court 25 15 25 25 30 25 25 15 
			 Ludlow County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Mansfield Magistrates and County Court 20 15 20 20 20 25 20 30 
			 Melton Mowbray County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Newark County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northampton Combined Court 30 30 30 25 35 25 25 30 
			 Nottingham County Court 35 50 55 50 60 65 50 45 
			 Nuneaton County Court 15 20 15 10 10 10 15 20 
			 Oswestry County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Redditch County Court 10 10 10 10 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Rugby County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Shrewsbury County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Skegness County Court (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Stafford Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Combined Court 40 40 30 30 45 25 40 35 
			 Stourbridge County Court 25 15 15 10 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Stratford on Avon County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Tamworth County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Telford County Court 10 15 20 15 20 20 20 20 
			 Walsall County Court 50 30 45 25 30 45 40 25 
			 Warwick Combined Court (2)— 10 10 10 10 (2)— 15 10 
			 Wellingborough County Court 10 10 (2)— (2)— 20 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre 30 20 30 30 20 20 25 20 
			 Worcester Combined Court 15 (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 10 20 20 
			 Worksop County Court 10 10 10 15 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			          
			 North East 650 580 575 495 640 495 505 455 
			          
			 Barnsley Law Courts 10 15 (2)— (2)— 10 15 15 15 
			 Bishop Auckland County Court(1) 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Bradford Combined Court Centre 35 20 30 25 30 25 30 25 
			 Consett County Court(1) (13 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Darlington County Court 15 15 20 15 20 10 10 10 
			 Dewsbury County Court 25 30 20 20 15 20 15 15 
			 Doncaster County Court 25 30 40 35 40 35 25 20 
			 Durham County Court 15 20 15 15 15 10 20 15 
			 Gateshead County Court 25 25 20 20 25 15 15 10 
			 Great Grimsby Combined Court Centre 20 15 20 15 15 15 20 15 
			 Halifax County Court (2)— 20 15 (2)— 15 15 20 10 
			 Harrogate County Court 10 10 (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hartlepool County Court 15 10 10 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Huddersfield County Court 25 25 20 20 20 20 20 15 
			 Keighley County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull Combined Court Centre 65 40 45 35 60 30 40 35 
			 Leeds Combined Court Centre 45 50 35 35 65 50 55 50 
			 Morpeth and Berwick County Court 25 10 10 20 25 10 15 20 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Combined Court Centre 40 25 35 30 40 30 25 25 
			 North Shields County Court 25 15 20 15 (2)— 20 10 15 
			 Pontefract County Court 15 10 15 10 10 10 10 15 
			 Rotherham County Court 15 20 10 10 15 10 10 10 
			 Scarborough County Court 20 25 30 25 25 15 20 25 
			 Scunthorpe County Court (2)— 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Sheffield Combined Court Centre 45 30 40 35 50 30 25 30 
			 Skipton County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 South Shields County Court 15 15 15 10 15 15 10 10 
			 Sunderland County Court 15 15 15 10 15 25 15 (2)— 
			 Teesside Combined Court Centre 30 25 30 25 30 25 30 20 
			 Wakefield County Court (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— 10 15 15 
			 York County Court 35 25 20 15 20 15 15 15 
			          
			 North West 705 645 610 595 725 570 565 620 
			          
			 Accrington County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Altrincham County Court 20 (2)— 10 (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 10 
			 Barrow-in-Furness County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 25 (2)— 
			 Birkenhead County Court 30 30 30 30 30 20 25 25 
			 Blackburn County Court 25 10 20 15 15 15 20 15 
			 Blackpool County Court 25 25 30 20 20 15 15 20 
			 Bolton Combined Court Centre 45 35 30 35 35 20 30 20 
			 Burnley Combined Court Centre 25 25 15 10 20 10 15 15 
			 Bury County Court 25 25 10 20 25 20 20 25 
			 Carlisle Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Chester Civil Justice Centre 15 15 20 15 15 20 10 15 
			 Chorley County Court 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Crewe County Court 10 15 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 15 
			 Kendal County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Lancaster County Court 15 (2)— 10 15 20 10 (2)— 15 
			 Leigh County Court(1) 10 10 10 10 15 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Liverpool Civil and Family Court 90 75 70 95 100 70 75 75 
			 Macclesfield County Court (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Manchester County Court 70 80 70 75 90 75 125 175 
			 Nelson County Court(1) (29 January 2010) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northwich County Court(1) (29 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Oldham County Court 25 40 45 25 20 35 35 35 
			 Penrith County Court(1) (29 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Preston Combined Court Centre 25 15 15 20 20 30 25 30 
			 Rawtenstall County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Salford County Court(1) 75 45 60 55 65 50 (2)— (2)— 
			 Southport County Court(1) 15 10 15 15 25 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 St. Helens County Court 20 30 25 25 30 25 15 30 
			 Stockport Magistrates and County Court 20 25 25 20 25 20 20 25 
			 Tameside County Court 20 25 40 15 30 20 35 20 
			 Warrington and Runcorn County Courts 20 20 15 15 25 10 15 10 
			 West Cumbria Court House (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Wigan County Court 20 20 20 15 20 15 30 25 
			          
			 South East 1,390 1,360 1,280 1,160 1,450 1,215 1,275 1,120 
			          
			 Ashford County Court(1) 20 30 25 30 35 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aylesbury County Court 10 10 10 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Banbury County Court 15 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 
			 Basildon Combined Court 60 65 40 50 65 60 40 55 
			 Bedford County Court 25 20 25 15 20 30 35 25 
			 Brighton County Court 50 50 50 40 60 50 45 40 
			 Bury St. Edmunds County Court 20 10 10 20 15 15 20 10 
			 Cambridge County Court 10 10 20 20 20 25 25 15 
			 Canterbury Combined Court Centre 40 30 25 20 40 30 55 55 
			 Chelmsford County and Family Proceedings Court 20 15 15 25 25 15 40 25 
			 Chichester Combined Court Centre 20 25 25 25 30 20 25 25 
			 Colchester County Court 60 50 45 55 55 65 50 40 
			 Dartford County Court 90 90 70 70 70 85 105 75 
			 Eastbourne County Court 25 35 25 20 40 25 15 20 
			 Epsom County Court(1) 20 (2)— 15 20 25 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Gravesend County Court(1) ( )(1 April 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Guildford County Court 15 10 25 10 10 10 25 25 
			 Harlow County Court(1) 15 10 20 10 (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Hastings County Court 40 60 50 40 50 30 35 35 
			 Haywards Heath County Court(1) 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hertford County Court 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 15 
			 High Wycombe County Court 20 15 10 15 15 20 10 20 
			 Hitchin County Court(1) 20 20 20 15 20 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Horsham County Court 10 10 10 10 10 15 10 15 
			 Huntingdon County Court(1) (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Ipswich County Court 30 20 20 25 25 15 20 25 
			 King's Lynn County Court 15 15 15 25 15 10 15 10 
			 Lewes Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Lowestoft County Court(1) 45 35 45 30 25 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Luton County Court 70 55 45 35 60 65 65 45 
			 Maidstone Combined Court Centre 25 30 25 20 25 15 20 15 
			 Medway County Court 140 115 125 115 165 125 125 125 
			 Milton Keynes County Court 35 45 40 30 55 30 35 25 
			 Newbury County Court(1) (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Norwich Combined Court Centre 40 40 30 10 20 20 40 25 
			 Oxford Combined Court Centre 50 40 25 20 35 35 40 30 
			 Peterborough Combined Court Centre 25 30 30 35 45 20 35 45 
		
	
	
		
			 Reading County Court 35 45 30 35 35 35 35 35 
			 Reigate County Court 10 15 10 10 10 10 20 10 
			 Slough County Court 50 45 45 40 65 50 60 35 
			 Southend County Court 35 30 45 40 45 40 40 40 
			 St. Albans County Court 20 10 20 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Staines County Court 15 30 15 20 20 25 20 25 
			 Thanet County Court 20 50 40 35 50 35 40 35 
			 Tunbridge Wells County Court 20 20 20 15 15 15 15 20 
			 Watford County Court 55 60 65 40 60 50 60 45 
			 Worthing County Court 15 10 20 15 10 15 15 10 
			          
			 South West 565 495 570 470 525 525 480 455 
			          
			 Aldershot and Farnham County Court 20 20 30 30 40 20 15 25 
			 Barnstaple County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Basingstoke County Court 15 15 15 10 15 15 10 10 
			 Bath County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Bodmin County Court 15 10 10 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 Bournemouth and Poole County Court 55 40 60 60 55 55 55 55 
			 Bristol County Court 50 40 50 40 40 50 35 25 
			 Exeter Combined Court Centre 15 20 15 15 15 20 15 15 
			 Gloucester and Cheltenham County Court 25 25 30 30 30 30 25 25 
			 Isle of Wight Combined Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Penzance County Court(1) 20 10 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Plymouth Combined Court 45 35 45 30 45 35 40 30 
			 Portsmouth Combined Court Centre 70 65 80 55 85 75 60 60 
			 Salisbury Law Courts 25 10 15 10 15 (2)— 20 15 
			 Southampton Combined Court Centre 55 60 45 60 40 55 55 50 
			 Swindon Combined Court 15 20 25 15 25 20 25 20 
			 Taunton County Court 10 15 15 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 Torquay and Newton Abbot County Court 35 20 20 20 15 20 15 25 
			 Trowbridge County Court 15 10 25 10 10 10 15 10 
			 Truro County Court (2)— 15 (2)— 10 10 15 15 10 
			 Weston-super-Mare County Court 10 15 15 10 10 15 20 25 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court Centre 10 15 15 10 15 20 15 10 
			 Winchester Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Yeovil County Court 15 15 15 (2)— 10 15 10 10 
			          
			 Wales 195 190 175 185 245 195 195 180 
			          
			 Aberdare County Court(1) (28 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Aberystwyth County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Blackwood Civil and Family Court 15 15 15 10 10 15 15 10 
			 Brecon Law Courts (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Bridgend Law Courts (2)— 15 10 10 15 10 10 (2)— 
			 Caernarfon County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 20 20 20 10 10 
			 Cardiff Civil Justice Centre 50 45 55 55 70 50 45 55 
			 Carmarthen County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Conwy and Colwyn County Court 10 10 10 15 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Haverfordwest County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Llanelli County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Llangefni County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 
			 Mold County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Neath and Port Talbot County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 Newport (Gwent) Civil and Family Court 15 20 20 15 20 15 15 15 
			 Pontypool County Court(1) (29 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Pontypridd County Court 15 15 (2)— (2)— 15 10 10 15 
			 Rhyl County Court 15 15 15 10 10 15 15 10 
			 Swansea Civil Justice Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 15 10 
		
	
	
		
			 Welshpool and Newtown County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Wrexham Magistrates and County Courts (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 (1) Courts closed or merged with other county courts. (2) The figure is not provided as the number of claims leading to an order being made is either seven or less. Note: Figures below England and Wales level are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			 Quarterly number of landlord possession claims issued under the accelerated procedure in the county courts of England  and  Wales, 2010 to 2011 
			  2010 2011 
			  Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 
			 England and Wales 4,852 5,207 5,707 5,831 6,495 6,219 6,935 6,066 
			          
			 London 2,070 2,145 2,345 2,880 2,950 2,740 3,350 2,820 
			          
			 Barnet Civil and Family Courts Centre 140 110 165 245 240 120 140 115 
			 Bow County Court 205 200 265 310 330 310 425 370 
			 Brentford County Court 105 125 130 140 125 150 180 195 
			 Bromley County Court 85 100 105 105 130 120 150 125 
			 Central London County Court 85 110 95 110 155 140 140 130 
			 Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court 215 145 215 200 215 235 280 210 
			 Croydon County Court 185 165 165 160 185 200 290 200 
			 Edmonton County Court 265 225 285 335 370 285 390 300 
			 Ilford County Court 60 80 75 95 120 95 130 125 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames County Court 30 45 35 25 35 40 55 50 
			 Lambeth County Court 100 95 125 130 150 155 190 190 
			 Mayors and City of London Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Romford County Court 45 70 60 75 90 85 110 90 
			 Uxbridge County Court 70 160 110 90 100 105 110 105 
			 Wandsworth County Court 65 95 85 90 80 100 125 110 
			 West London County Court 55 50 75 115 95 115 160 105 
			 Willesden County Court 290 310 290 585 440 395 370 285 
			 Woolwich County Court 65 55 70 75 90 85 115 105 
			          
			 Midlands 490 555 620 525 575 605 630 575 
			          
			 Birmingham Civil Justice Centre and Family Courts 95 95 125 95 115 125 130 135 
			 Boston County Court 10 (2)— 10 10 (2)— 10 30 20 
			 Burton-on-Trent County Court 10 10 10 (2)— 10 25 15 15 
			 Buxton County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Chesterfield County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Coventry Combined Court Centre 10 15 10 10 20 25 25 20 
			 Derby Combined Court Centre 20 20 30 25 30 25 25 30 
			 Dudley County Court 10 20 15 15 15 15 15 25 
			 Evesham County Court 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Grantham County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hereford County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 
			 Kettering County Court 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 10 
			 Kidderminster County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Leicester County Court 40 55 55 50 50 50 65 50 
			 Lincoln County Court 15 10 20 10 15 15 10 (2)— 
			 Ludlow County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Mansfield Magistrates and County Court 20 25 15 20 15 30 40 20 
			 Melton Mowbray County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Newark County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northampton Combined Court 20 15 25 15 35 25 25 30 
			 Nottingham County Court 30 50 30 30 40 30 35 35 
			 Nuneaton County Court (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 10 10 20 
			 Oswestry County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Redditch County Court (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Rugby County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Shrewsbury County Court 10 10 15 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Skegness County Court 10 15 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Stafford Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— 15 (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Combined Court 20 30 25 25 35 25 25 35 
			 Stourbridge County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Stratford on Avon County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Tamworth County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Telford County Court 10 15 20 10 15 25 10 30 
			 Walsall County Court 50 40 25 40 25 35 35 25 
			 Warwick Combined Court (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 15 15 
			 Wellingborough County Court 10 (2)— 10 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Wolverhampton Combined Court Centre 20 15 25 35 30 20 25 25 
			 Worcester Combined Court 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 15 15 
			 Worksop County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			          
			 North East 345 365 405 325 415 410 370 405 
			          
			 Barnsley Law Courts (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 
			 Bishop Auckland County Court(1) (13 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Bradford Combined Court Centre 10 25 15 15 25 25 10 25 
			 Consett County Court(1) (13 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Darlington County Court 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 15 
			 Dewsbury County Court 15 15 10 15 20 25 20 10 
			 Doncaster County Court 10 10 20 15 20 20 15 15 
			 Durham County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 
			 Gateshead County Court 15 10 15 10 15 (2)— 15 10 
			 Great Grimsby Combined Court Centre 40 30 25 15 20 25 15 20 
			 Halifax County Court 10 15 15 10 (2)— 10 10 10 
			 Harrogate County Court 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 15 (2)— 10 
			 Hartlepool County Court (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Huddersfield County Court 20 20 15 20 20 15 20 25 
			 Keighley County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull Combined Court Centre 35 35 30 35 35 40 35 45 
			 Leeds Combined Court Centre 10 10 20 10 25 20 20 15 
			 Morpeth and Berwick County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 15 (2)— 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Combined Court Centre 15 10 25 15 15 20 10 10 
			 North Shields County Court 10 10 10 10 10 (2)— 15 10 
			 Pontefract County Court (2)— (2)— 10 10 10 10 10 15 
			 Rotherham County Court 10 (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Scarborough County Court 15 15 25 20 20 25 25 20 
			 Scunthorpe County Court (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 15 (2)— 10 15 
			 Sheffield Combined Court Centre 10 20 30 15 15 15 20 30 
			 Skipton County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 South Shields County Court 10 (2)— 10 10 15 (2)— (2)— 10 
			 Sunderland County Court 10 10 10 10 10 15 10 15 
			 Teesside Combined Court Centre 20 15 20 15 20 25 25 20 
			 Wakefield County Court (2)— 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 
			 York County Court 10 15 15 (2)— 15 15 10 15 
			          
			 North West 450 405 445 425 535 505 495 470 
			          
			 Accrington County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Altrincham County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Barrow-in-Furness County Court 15 10 15 15 10 20 15 10 
			 Birkenhead County Court 35 25 35 25 55 35 20 25 
			 Blackburn County Court 10 (2)— (2)— 15 (2)— 10 15 10 
			 Blackpool County Court 25 25 30 25 40 30 35 35 
			 Bolton Combined Court Centre 20 10 20 20 20 20 15 20 
			 Burnley Combined Court Centre 15 (2)— 15 15 10 10 15 15 
			 Bury County Court 15 15 15 10 10 15 15 15 
			 Carlisle Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 
			 Chester Civil Justice Centre 15 20 15 10 10 20 15 20 
			 Chorley County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Crewe County Court (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 
			 Kendal County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Lancaster County Court 10 10 15 15 10 15 15 10 
			 Leigh County Court(1) (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Liverpool Civil and Family Court 45 45 45 40 40 40 45 50 
			 Macclesfield County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 15 (2)— (2)— 
			 Manchester County Court 75 50 60 55 70 60 115 105 
			 Nelson County Court(1) (29 January 2010) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Northwich County Court(1) (29 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Oldham County Court 15 25 25 20 25 30 25 20 
			 Penrith County Court(1) (29 July 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Preston Combined Court Centre 15 10 15 20 20 20 20 20 
			 Rawtenstall County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Salford County Court(1) 20 20 25 30 45 25 15 (2)— 
			 Southport County Court(1) 10 (2)— (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 St. Helens County Court 10 20 10 20 20 20 20 15 
			 Stockport Magistrates and County Court 20 10 15 - 20 15 15 10 
			 Tameside County Court 20 20 10 10 15 25 10 15 
			 Warrington and Runcorn County Courts 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 15 15 10 15 
			 West Cumbria Court House (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Wigan County Court 10 10 10 10 15 15 20 15 
			          
			 South East 925 1,060 1,160 1,050 1,240 1,210 1,280 1,135 
			          
			 Ashford County Court(1) 20 25 25 20 30 30 (2)— (2)— 
			 Aylesbury County Court 10 (2)— 15 (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 
			 Banbury County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 15 (2)— 15 10 
			 Basildon Combined Court 40 30 30 30 35 25 25 35 
			 Bedford County Court 15 10 10 10 15 15 20 10 
			 Brighton County Court 45 55 75 50 60 75 85 80 
			 Bury St. Edmunds County Court 10 10 15 20 20 10 15 15 
			 Cambridge County Court 20 15 40 30 20 25 30 30 
			 Canterbury Combined Court Centre 15 20 25 15 25 20 35 65 
			 Chelmsford County and Family Proceedings Court 15 20 20 30 35 50 55 45 
			 Chichester Combined Court Centre 20 25 25 20 25 30 25 25 
			 Colchester County Court 20 35 45 30 35 45 40 25 
			 Dartford County Court 50 60 50 60 60 40 65 70 
			 Eastbourne County Court 30 25 15 20 15 40 15 10 
			 Epsom County Court(1) 20 25 30 15 50 20 (2)— (2)— 
			 Gravesend County Court(1) (1 April 2011) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Guildford County Court 10 15 10 15 10 15 20 10 
			 Harlow County Court(1) 20 25 30 25 20 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hastings County Court 40 40 45 15 40 45 45 30 
			 Haywards Heath County Court(1) 10 15 (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Hertford County Court 10 10 (2)— 10 15 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 High Wycombe County Court 10 30 15 10 10 (2)— 10 10 
			 Hitchin County Court(1) 10 (2)— 10 15 15 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Horsham County Court (2)— 10 15 10 20 20 15 10 
			 Huntingdon County Court(1) (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Ipswich County Court 20 20 25 30 30 25 25 30 
			 King's Lynn County Court 15 15 15 15 15 20 20 15 
			 Lewes Combined Court Centre 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Lowestoft County Court(1) 20 15 15 15 20 25 (2)— (2)— 
			 Luton County Court 25 50 50 40 65 75 75 65 
			 Maidstone Combined Court Centre 20 10 20 20 15 30 25 20 
			 Medway County Court 45 45 35 40 50 45 50 45 
			 Milton Keynes County Court 15 30 20 25 35 20 35 30 
			 Newbury County Court(1) 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 20 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Norwich Combined Court Centre 25 15 30 20 25 15 40 45 
			 Oxford Combined Court Centre 25 30 35 35 40 35 45 30 
			 Peterborough Combined Court Centre 45 40 65 50 55 45 70 50 
		
	
	
		
			 Reading County Court 20 20 15 25 25 30 50 35 
			 Reigate County Court 10 15 10 15 10 10 20 20 
			 Slough County Court 25 25 30 35 45 40 60 40 
			 Southend County Court 35 50 45 50 50 50 60 40 
			 St. Albans County Court (2)— 10 10 15 10 20 15 10 
			 Staines County Court 15 35 25 25 35 30 25 35 
			 Thanet County Court 20 20 20 20 30 20 35 35 
			 Tunbridge Wells County Court 10 15 10 10 10 (2)— 10 15 
			 Watford County Court 40 50 70 65 40 60 65 55 
			 Worthing County Court 25 20 35 35 20 40 25 30 
			          
			 South West 450 530 600 490 625 605 650 540 
			          
			 Aldershot and Farnham County Court 10 10 15 15 10 10 20 15 
			 Barnstaple County Court 10 25 20 10 20 35 15 (2)— 
			 Basingstoke County Court (2)— 15 15 20 30 30 30 20 
			 Bath County Court (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 
			 Bodmin County Court 10 15 15 10 10 (2)— 15 10 
			 Bournemouth and Poole County Court 85 100 95 85 90 115 110 95 
			 Bristol County Court 35 45 60 50 75 45 60 60 
			 Exeter Combined Court Centre 25 30 35 20 25 15 30 25 
			 Gloucester and Cheltenham County Court 35 30 30 20 30 30 30 30 
			 Isle of Wight Combined Court 10 (2)— 10 15 15 10 25 10 
			 Penzance County Court(1) 20 15 20 15 15 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Plymouth Combined Court 20 20 25 15 30 20 30 15 
			 Portsmouth Combined Court Centre 50 65 50 65 80 90 85 65 
			 Salisbury Law Courts (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 
			 Southampton Combined Court Centre 25 25 35 35 45 40 35 35 
			 Swindon Combined Court 20 20 15 10 20 15 20 10 
			 Taunton County Court (2)— 10 (2)— 10 15 10 20 10 
			 Torquay and Newton Abbot County Court 30 35 45 40 50 30 35 30 
			 Trowbridge County Court 10 10 20 10 10 15 15 10 
			 Truro County Court 10 15 25 15 15 20 35 20 
			 Weston-super-Mare County Court (2)— (2)— 20 10 15 20 10 20 
			 Weymouth and Dorchester Combined Court Centre 15 15 15 10 10 20 15 15 
			 Winchester Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Yeovil County Court (2)— 20 15 15 - 10 15 10 
			          
			 Wales 125 145 135 140 155 145 160 125 
			          
			 Aberdare County Court(1) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Aberystwyth County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Blackwood Civil and Family Court 15 10 10 15 (2)— 10 15 10 
			 Brecon Law Courts (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Bridgend Law Courts 15 10 10 10 20 20 10 10 
			 Caernarfon County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Cardiff Civil Justice Centre 20 25 30 35 20 30 40 40 
			 Carmarthen County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— 
			 Conwy and Colwyn County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 10 (2)— (2)— 
			 Haverfordwest County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Llanelli County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Llangefni County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Merthyr Tydfil Combined Court Centre (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 Mold County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Neath and Port Talbot County Court (2)— 10 (2)— - 15 (2)— 10 (2)— 
			 Newport (Gwent) Civil and Family Court (2)— 10 10 15 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Pontypool County Court(1) (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Pontypridd County Court (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 10 10 10 (2)— 
			 Rhyl County Court (2)— 10 10 (2)— 10 (2)— 15 10 
			 Swansea Civil Justice Centre 15 10 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	
		
			 Welshpool and Newtown County Court (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Wrexham Magistrates and County Courts 10 (2)— (2)— (2)— 10 (2)— 15 10 
			 (1) Courts closed or merged with other county courts. (2) The figure is not provided as the number of claims leading to an order being made is either seven or less. Notes: Figures below England and Wales level are rounded to the nearest five. Source: Ministry of Justice

Violent and Sex Offender Register

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people are on the Violent and Sex Offender Register, broken down by gender and age; and what proportion of such people are listed for life.

Nick Herbert: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	The figures, broken down by gender and age, are given in the following tables.
	These relate to offenders being actively managed, from data obtained in February 2012. Figures from March 2012 show that 31,800 people are Life Registered. These data cover England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and include MAPPA Category 1 to 3 offenders.
	The statistics provided in the response have been obtained from ViSOR, the national dangerous persons database, which stores information relating to registered sex offenders. This is an operational system and the data may be subject to further quality assurance checks.
	The following figures, broken down by age/gender, are for offenders being actively managed, from data obtained in February 2012. The Life Registered figure is for actively managed individuals and is correct as of 16 March 2012. These figures cover England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and include MAPPA Category 1 to 3 offenders(1).
	
		
			 By age Number 
			 Under 18 783 
			 18-21 2,279 
			 22-25 4,652 
			 26-30 6,230 
			 31-40 12,069 
			 41-50 14,539 
			 51-60 10,287 
			 61-70 6,634 
			 Over 70 3,017 
			 Total 60,490 
		
	
	
		
			 By gender Number 
			 Male 57,929 
			 Female 889 
			 Unknown 1,672 
			 Total 60,490 
		
	
	
		
			  Number 
			 Life Registered 31,800 
		
	
	The figures have been obtained from ViSOR, the National Dangerous Persons Database.
	(1) Category 1 Offenders—Registered Sexual Offenders—This relates to those individuals required to comply with the notification requirements (often referred to as the registration requirements) set out in part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
	Category 2 Offenders—Violent and Other Sexual Offenders—This relates in the main to violent offenders sentenced to 12 months custody or more but the legislation is more complex than this broad title suggests.
	Category 3 Offenders—Other Dangerous Offenders—This category is comprised of offenders, not in Category 1 or 2 but who are considered by the Responsible Authority to pose a risk of serious harm to the public which requires active interagency management.

Young Offenders: Rehabilitation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2012, Official Report, columns 758-9W, on sentencing: young people, if he will place in the Library details of the Jets juvenile mindfulness-based treatment programme.

Crispin Blunt: JETS is a Cognitive Behavioural programme and is one of the accredited Cognitive and Motivational Programmes and Substance Misuse Interventions delivered by NOMS, that encourage participants to consider their relationships, their emotions, values and rules and how they impact on factors such as substance use and offending. Participants are supported in exploring how they can challenge their thinking where this does not support a pro social life style and practice the appropriate skills and tools both inside and out of sessions. It is fair to say that while participants are encouraged to be ‘mindful', this does not incorporate the techniques of mindfulness based therapy.
	The information requested to be placed in the Library in the regard to the JETS programme is supplied in the form of an information sheet entitled ‘JETS'.
	The information regarding JETS is provided by Interventions Unit, Operational Services and Interventions Group, National Operational Services Directorate in the National Offender Management Service.
	Further detailed information can be obtained from the Cognitive and Motivational Programmes Team, at the e-mail address supplied at the foot of the information leaflet for ease of reference.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Advantage West Midlands: Government Procurement Card

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of each Government Procurement Card transaction of Advantage West Midlands Regional Development Agency providing (a) transaction date, (b) supplier and (c) amount for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: The Advantage West Midlands Regional Development Agency has not made use of government procurement cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

Apprentices: Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many apprenticeships have been commenced in Hull since May 2010; in what sectors; how many were offered at a junior level; and how many were first advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service website;
	(2)  how many vacancies for junior level apprenticeships in manufacturing or engineering have been advertised on the National Apprenticeship Service's website for the Hull region since May 2010;
	(3)  how many employers have offered apprenticeships in the Hull region since May 2010;
	(4)  how many new apprenticeship vacancies for the Hull region were advertised through the National Apprenticeship Service website in each month since May 2010; and in which areas.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship programme starts in Kingston upon Hull local education authority by sector subject area and Table 2 shows the number of Apprenticeship programme starts in Kingston upon Hull local education authority by age. Both tables report data for the last quarter of the 2009/10 academic year (1 May 2010 to 31 July 2010) and full year data for the 2010/11 academic year, the latest period for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Table 1: Apprenticeship Programme Starts in Kingston upon Hull by sector subject area, May 2010 to July 2010 (quarter 4) and 2010/11 (full year) 
			 Sector subject area 2009/10 quarter 4 to May 2010 to July 2010 (final) 2010/11 full year (final) 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 40 40 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing — — 
			 Business, Administration and Law 640 990 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 270 270 
			 Education and Training — 10 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 250 450 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 230 550 
			 Information and Communication Technology 120 110 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 30 70 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 380 690 
			 Science and Mathematics — — 
			 Unknown — — 
			 Total 1,970 3,170 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Apprenticeship programme starts in Kingston upon Hull by age, May 2010 to July 2010 (Quarter 4) and 2010/11 (full year) 
			 Age 2009/10 quarter 4 to May 2010 to July 2010 (final) 2010/11 full year (final) 
			 Under 19 1,120 1,190 
		
	
	
		
			 19 to 24 570 910 
			 25+ 280 1,060 
			 Total 1,970 3,170 
			 ‘—’ Indicates a base value of less than five. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts by sector subject area and age is published in a supplementary table to a quarterly Statistical First Release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31 January 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	There were 400 apprenticeship vacancies posted on the National Apprenticeship Service Apprenticeship Vacancies online system located in Kingston upon Hull between May 2010 and February 2012 (as at end of February 2012). Employers registered on the apprenticeship vacancies system can advertise a vacancy directly on the system or direct candidates to their own website and information is captured in both cases. Information is not captured for vacancies made available by employers who are not registered so therefore these figures may not provide a comprehensive picture of all apprenticeship vacancies within an area.
	I have made data available in the Libraries of the House showing apprenticeship vacancies posted in Kingston upon Hull by sector subject area for each month between May 2010 and February 2012 (as at end of February 2012).
	All apprenticeships vacancies adverts posted on the apprenticeship vacancy website are open to individuals of all ages, therefore none are offered at 'junior' level.
	Online reports from apprenticeship vacancies are updated on a monthly basis and published by the Data Service at the following link:
	http://mireportslibrary.thedataservice.org.uk/apprenticeships/apprenticeship_vacancy_reports/
	Data are not available on the number of employers who have offered apprenticeships in Hull since May 2010. Data from the published 2009 National Employer Skills Survey(1) (NESS) show that in Yorkshire and the Humber, 9% of establishments offered apprenticeships.
	(1) Figure 8.7, p. 215 in:
	http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/evidence-report-23-ness-main-report-2009.pdf
	accessed on 20 March 2012.

Business: Government Assistance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to rationalise and streamline the support schemes administered by his Department and its agencies.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills regularly goes through a process of rationalisation and streamlining of its support schemes. The Government last went through a rationalisation of its portfolio of business support schemes, collectively known as Solution for Business, around a year ago. A considerable streamlining exercise has also taken place as a result of the operational closure of the regional development agencies, to be achieved on 31 March 2012.
	In addition to this the Department has recently refreshed advice and support available on the Business Link website and has launched a brand new Growth and Improvement Service; but recognises that more can still be done to improve the communication of existing Government support schemes. The Government will continue to consider how best to improve both awareness and understanding of small and medium sized enterprise support schemes. We welcome the observations and ideas published by Tim Breedon's taskforce and the Government's response to the taskforce's report outlines our commitment to this objective.

Business: USA

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effects of the work of the Small Business Administration on small businesses in the US and the transferable policy lessons for the UK.

Mark Prisk: The Government are aware of recent calls for the creation of a Small Business Administration (SBA) to represent the interests of small businesses, based on the US model.
	We believe all Government Departments should understand and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and this Department is responsible for promoting small businesses in Whitehall. In addition, my right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has appointed my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffham to advise him on enterprise issues.
	There are three main areas covered by the SBA in the US, namely: government-backed loans to strengthen access to capital for small businesses; the provision of business support; and leading federal Government's efforts to ensure that 23% of federal contracts go to small businesses. In the UK, we are already active in these areas. We have announced that up to £20 billion of guarantees for bank funding will be available over the next two years through the new National Loan Guarantee Scheme and we have extended the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme until 2014-15, providing, subject to demand, over £2 billion of additional lending to viable SMEs. We have transformed the way we enable businesses to access the information, advice and guidance they need to start and grow their business including:
	An improved Business Link website (www.businesslink.gov.uk) which includes a new Growth and Improvement Service, offering a range of business tools and an updated events management system; and My New Business, a comprehensive tailored start-up service providing online tools and training for those looking to start a business.
	A Business Link helpline (0845 600 9006) which will support people who are unable to access the internet or have difficulty in doing so.
	A mentoring portal, www.mentorsme.co.uk (launched July 2011), provides a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors across the UK. The site connects small businesses with mentoring organisations that can support and guide their development.
	And like the US, we have an aspiration that, by May 2015, 25% of the value of Government contracts, both directly and via the supply chain, should be awarded to SMEs by removing the barriers faced by small businesses and eliminating complexities and waste in the process.
	In addition, the Government have taken action to reduce the burden of regulation on the smallest businesses at both a domestic and a European level, for example through the microbusiness regulatory moratorium announced in the Plan for Growth.

Business: USA

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the merits of establishing a Small Business Administration on the model of that body in the US.

Mark Prisk: The Government are aware of recent calls for the creation of a Small Business Administration to represent the interests of small businesses, based on the US model.
	We believe all Government Departments should understand and support small and medium-sized enterprises and this Department is responsible for promoting small businesses in Whitehall. In addition, my right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has appointed my noble Friend Lord Young of Graffham to advise him on enterprise issues.
	I will be visiting the US later this month, and this will provide an opportunity to learn more about the US model and to share thinking about how best to support small businesses.

Business: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was disbursed by (a) Yorkshire Forward and (b) the Regional Growth Fund to enterprises in (i) the City of York, (ii) York and North Yorkshire and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last five years; and how much will be available to disburse in each of the next two years.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 19 March 2012
	Information on disbursements to enterprises in (i) the City of York and (ii) York and North Yorkshire could be made available only at disproportionate cost. Yorkshire Forward's net expenditure across its region in the last five years was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006/07 313 
			 2007/08 300 
			 2008/09 292 
			 2009/10 320 
			 2010/11 172 
		
	
	From the first and second rounds of the Regional Growth Fund, bids to the value of £44.4 million and £134.6 million respectively were successful from the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Chemicals: EU Action

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of regulation EC 1907/2006 on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances on the competitiveness of UK businesses which rely on chemicals.

Mark Prisk: The Department has not made an assessment of the effects of the Registration Evaluation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) on the competitiveness of UK business. However, the European Commission is undertaking a review of REACH and in June it will publish a report on the lessons learnt so far, and on the costs and administrative burden.
	We are aware of the concerns of business and are working closely with industry, industry bodies, DEFRA and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to understand the economic impact on business from the implementation of REACH. We are working jointly to see how any impact on competitiveness can be mitigated. The Department continues to engage directly in an active dialogue with stakeholders in the UK so that potentially harmful substances, through the authorisation process, can continue to be used safely, while alternatives are found—fostering innovation and promoting substitution to safer alternatives.

Chemicals: EU Action

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made representations to the European Chemical Agency on regulation EC 1907/2006 on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals.

Mark Prisk: The Department has not made any direct representations to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) on EC 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). DEFRA who lead on this issue for HMG, is on the Management Board of ECHA. ECHA advises the Commission and engages primarily with regulatory bodies across the European Union, such as the HSE. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) maintains a close dialogue with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who advises ECHA.
	The Department does engage with the European Commission on economic issues arising from REACH via the Enterprise Policy Group. We are aware of the concerns of business and are working closely with industry, industry bodies, DEFRA and HSE to understand the economic impact on business from the implementation of REACH. We are working jointly to see how any impact on competitiveness can be mitigated. The Department continues to engage directly in an active dialogue with stakeholders in the UK so that potentially harmful substances, through the authorisation process, can continue to be used safely, while alternatives are found—fostering innovation and promoting substitution to safer alternatives.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Trade Agreements

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to place the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement on a statutory basis.

Norman Lamb: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is currently with the European Parliament with a vote on consent likely to take place late in 2012 or 2013. The UK intends to ratify the agreement in line with this timetable. The treaty will be laid before both Houses of Parliament and will be subject to a negative resolution.
	The final ACTA text has been reviewed by Government lawyers and the European Commission Legal Services who confirm that ACTA will not create new intellectual property rights, laws or criminal offences in the UK or EU. As such, ACTA will not require any substantive changes to existing UK law.

East Midlands Development Agency

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of Government Procurement Card transactions made by staff of the East Midlands Development Agency showing in each case the (a) transaction date, (b) supplier and (c) amount in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: The East Midlands Development Agency has not made use of Government Procurement Cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

East of England Development Agency

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of Government Procurement Card transactions made by staff of the East of England Development Agency showing in each case the (a) transaction date, (b) supplier and (c) amount in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: The East of England Development Agency has not made use of Government Procurement Cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

EU Law

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will publish a timetable for reviewing the goldplating of EU legislation enacted in UK law since 1997.

Mark Prisk: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 March 2012, Official Report, column 378.
	This Government started the review when they launched the Red Tape Challenge on 7 April 2011. This programme is thematically reviewing the stock of UK legislation, including looking at where such ‘gold-plating' exists and should be removed. We are inviting the general public and businesses to comment on those regulations they find burdensome, including the opportunity for respondents to comment on issues relating to the ‘gold-plating' of EU regulations. Overall, of over 1,450 regulations considered so far, we have agreed to scrap or improve well over 50%.

Flowers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on (a) cut flowers and (b) pot plants between May 2010 and February 2012.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Luciana Berger) on 30 March 2011, Official Report, column reference 346W.
	The foliage contracts were terminated from 30 September 2010 so the Department has had no spend on foliage since then.

Green Investment Bank

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Government expects to apply for a banking licence for the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: The Green Investment Bank senior management will apply for a banking licence before commencing regulated activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001. The Government do not anticipate that the activities of the Green Investment Bank in its first years will require it to have a banking licence.

Green Investment Bank

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what the role of staff at the Green Investment Bank's office will be in (a) Edinburgh and (b) London;
	(2)  what the (a) staff and (b) administrative budget will be for the Green Investment Bank's office in (i) Edinburgh and (ii) London;
	(3)  when a decision will be made on the address of the Green Investment Bank's office in (a) Edinburgh and (b) London;
	(4)  how many staff will be based at the Green Investment Bank's office in (a) Edinburgh and (b) London.

Norman Lamb: The Green Investment Bank's (GIB's) corporate headquarters, asset management and administrative functions will be located in Edinburgh, with the major transactions team located in London. Detailed decisions about the bank's structure and organisational arrangements; precise office sites within Edinburgh and London; and staffing and administrative budgets will be a matter for the GIB's Board and senior management. We envisage that up to half the jobs in the Bank will be based in Edinburgh.

Green Investment Bank

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the European Commission on state aid rules and the Green Investment Bank;
	(2)  when the Green Investment Bank's office in (a) Edinburgh and (b) London will be fully operational.

Mark Prisk: Good progress is being made towards establishment of the Green Investment Bank. My officials are in detailed discussions with the European Commission and the Government hope to obtain state approval for the Green Investment Bank later this year. We envisage that the bank will be operational in both Edinburgh and London by autumn 2012, subject to state aid approval.

Green Investment Bank

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he expects to appoint the (a) chair and (b) senior independent director of the Green Investment Bank; and in which office each will be based.

Mark Prisk: The deadline for applications for the chair and senior independent director posts has now passed, and the appointments are due to be announced in the spring. There are strong London-based and Edinburgh-based candidates under consideration for both posts and we will select the best candidates against the advertised competencies. We expect that the chair and senior independent director will spend time in both Edinburgh and London.

Green Investment Bank

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  when he expects the Green Investment Bank's constitutional documents to be (a) finalised and (b) publicly available;
	(2)  whether the Government, as the sole shareholder, will have a representative on the board of the Green Investment Bank.

Mark Prisk: The public company, UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) plc, is due to be formed in the spring and at this point the Bank's constitutional documents will be finalised and made publicly available as a matter of course. Following best practice with other Government-owned companies, an official from the Shareholder Executive will be a member of the GIB board.

London Development Agency: Government Procurement Card

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of the Government Procurement Card transactions made by the London Development Agency detailing each (a) transaction date, (b) supplier and (c) amount in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: The London Development Agency has not made use of government procurement cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

One North East

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a list of Government Procurement Card transactions made by staff of the One North East Development Agency showing in each case the (a) transaction date, (b) supplier and (c) amount in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Mark Prisk: One North East has not made use of Government Procurement Cards and there are therefore no transactions to list.

One North East: Pay

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any staff employed by the One North East Development Agency received retention bonuses after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of the regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: The eight regional development agencies (RDAs) have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) and HM Treasury. This is to safeguard the taxpayers' interest in making best use of the significant public assets that the RDAs have owned. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office.
	At One North East to date, no member of staff has received a retention payment.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of contracts issued by (a) his Department and (b) agencies for which he is responsible were rewarded to small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest period for which figures are available.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) are currently not in a position to report on what proportion of contracts were issued to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the BIS family due to the devolved management of procurement not holding the information centrally. However, we are in a position to respond with the proportion of total spend versus spend with SMEs which in essence answers the same question using spend data rather than contract data.
	The proportion of spend with SMEs for the Q3 period for BIS is 27%. This figure is derived from the data collated each month as part of the Monthly Procurement Key Metric submission sent to Cabinet Office, with the caveat that the figure is based only on those agencies reporting SME spend data which is currently running at 50%.

Regional Assistance

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to initiate a consultation on the revision of the European assisted areas map.

Mark Prisk: The UK Assisted Area Map will be revised in line with the next Regional Aid Guidelines which will cover the period January 2014-December 2020. The UK will be consulting on the Map during 2013, once the Commission have issued the guidelines.

Regional Development Agencies

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any staff employed by the East of England Development Agency received a retention bonus after the announcement by the Government of the abolition of regional development agencies.

Mark Prisk: The eight regional development agencies (RDA's) have put in place arrangements to secure the retention of key staff until the agencies are closed. They have made these arrangements with the approval of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and HM Treasury. This is to safeguard the taxpayer's interest in making best use of the significant public assets that the RDAs have owned. A retention payment process had been recommended to be put into place by the National Audit Office. At the East of England Development Agency to date, three members of staff have received retention payments on completion of duties when made redundant.

Tractors

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has made an assessment of the merits of a scheme to provide a financial incentive to replace old tractors.

Mark Prisk: No assessment has been made by this Department.

UK Trade and Investment: Libya

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff have worked for UK Trade and Investment in Libya since March 2010; and how many such staff were from his Department.

Mark Prisk: The UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) team in Libya is currently eight strong, one of whom is from BIS. From March 2010 until the British embassy was evacuated in February 2011, the UKTI team had seven staff, none of whom were BIS employees. UKTI staff in Libya are typically from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, BIS and the Ministry of Defence.